HC Deb 08 March 1968 vol 760 cc180-1W
Commander Pursey

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the total number of the sons of officers and ratings and the number of orphan sons of officers and ratings, respectively, at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, Suffolk;

(2) what is the number of sons of officers and ratings and the number of orphan sons of officers and ratings, respectively, at the Royal Hospital School for whom fees were charged; and what are the amounts of the fees.

Mr. Foley

The number of boys at present at the Royal Hospital School is:

Sons of Direct Entry Officers 62 (62)
Orphan sons of Direct Entry Officers 14 (12)
Sons of officers promoted after at least four years service as ratings 153 (153)
Orphan sons of officers promoted after at least four years service as ratings 9 (9)
Sons of ratings 393 (391)
Orphan sons of ratings 69 (63)
The figures in brackets show the number of boys for whom fees are paid.

The maximum fee payable is £120 per annum. Where neither the Navy Education Allowance nor Local Education Authorities meet the full cost, parents are asked to contribute only what they can afford without hardship. 123 pay £120 per annum and the remainder from zero upwards.

Commander Pursey

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the number of new entrants in the current term at the Royal Hospital School; and what are the number of officers' and ratings' sons and the number of orphan sons of officers and ratings, respectively.

Mr. Foley

Of the 23 boys who were entered at the beginning of this term, 11 were the sons of ratings and 3 of these had only one parent living; 8 were the sons of officers promoted after at least four years' service as ratings and one of these had only one parent living; 4 were the sons of direct entry officers and 3 of these had only one parent living.

Commander Pursey

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the number of new entrants in the current term at the Royal Hospital School for whom fees were charged, the number who were officers' and ratings' orphans, respectively, and the amounts of the fees.

Mr. Foley

Of the 23 boys entered in the current term fees have been charged in respect of 22. 7 orphans were entered. No fee has been charged for one of these—the son of a rating. Full fees of £120 per annum were paid by the surviving parent in the case of 4 boys, all sons of officers. The Local Education Authority paid the full fee for 2 ratings' orphans.