asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that three Portsmouth chief writers, fifth, twelth, and sixteenth, respectively, in order on the roster for sea service, have been drafted to His Majesty's ships "Dauntless," "Effingham," and "Resource" for foreign service; that this variation of the drafting regulations virtually creates foreign and home sea-service; and if it is intended to apply this principle to all ratings and to amend the drafting regulations accordingly?

The statement in the first part of the question is approximately correct. There has been no variation of the drafting regulations, whereby all ratings receive their fair share of each description of service and from which chief writers are not exempt.

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell me where the statement is incorrect?

The only way in which there is a slight inaccuracy is that the hon. Member gives the positions as "fifth, twelfth, and sixteenth," and my information is that they are the "tenth, twelfth and sixteenth."