asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will consider extending prize money to all naval personnel who were sunk at sea and taken prisoner regardless of the length of time they served at sea.

No, Sir. Prize money is payable only to those who qualified for it under the Royal Proclamation, which was drafted in accordance with the wishes expressed in this House and in another place during the passage of the Prize Bill in 1949.

Does the Minister not think that it is now time we revised those rules? A small number of personnel in the Navy were sunk in the early days of the war and were unable to get either the Atlantic Star or their prize money. These men could not have done more for their country except make the supreme sacrifice.

I have great sympathy with the point that the hon. and gallant Member makes, but it would be presumptuous for me to say that the rules should be revised in view of the fact that all this was taken into account when the Royal Proclamation was under consideration.