asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if the crew of H.M.S. "Hollyhock" have been paid mine-sweeping money for mines destroyed in the North Sea from 9th June, 1915, to 8th June, 1916; and why no reply has been made to three applications by letter from Charles Edward Buxton, No. 106,425, Naval Reserve, for payment of his portion of mine-sweeping money while a member of the crew of H.M.S. "Hollyhock" during the time mentioned?

The applications stated to have been made by Mr. Buxton can not be traced as having been received. Awards for the destruction, etc., of mines were made locally by the senior naval officer in charge of the operations, who pooled and distributed them either upon the completion of each mine-sweeping operation or periodically at his discretion. It has been ascertained, however, that no award was made in respect of the mines accounted for during the operations upon which H.M.S. "Holly-hock" was employed between the 9th June, 1915, and the 8th June, 1916. Under the Regulations in force at the time only vessels which were manned exclusively by Naval Reserve crews (namely, trawlers, drifters, etc.) were allowed to participate in the distribution of mine awards, so that, even had an award been made in respect of the operations in question, no share would have been allocated to H.M.S. "Hollyhock," which was manned almost entirely by active service ranks and ratings, and was regarded as a Grand Fleet ship.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether there has recently been a reassessment of officers' retired pay; and whether officers are still receiving retired pay on pre-War scale?

Revised rates of retired pay were sanctioned with effect from the 1st April, 1919, for all officers retired thereafter and for all officers previously retired who served during the War in any service capacity, except officers retired or relegated to the retired list for misconduct. All officers entitled are in receipt of the new rates of retired pay, and the only officers in receipt of retired pay on the pre-War scale are those retired before the War who did not serve during it, those to whom the pre-War rates are more favourable than the new rates and a few officers who were retired from the Service or relegated to the retired list for misconduct and whose cases are still under consideration. Where hardship has been represented owing to the new rate being unsettled in the case of the officers retired for misconduct, advances have been made in anticipation of the new rates, subject only to a margin of safety.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why certain ranks of the Royal Marines, i.e., warrant officers, second class, and company sergeant-majors are debarred from joining Class "A" of the Royal Fleet Reserve; and whether, in the event of any of these pensioners being willing to enrol in the Royal Fleet Reserve in the substantive rank held previous to one of the ranks mentioned above, steps will be taken to allow them to do so?

Ordinary pensioned warrant officers, whether of the Royal Navy or Royal Marines, are not required for Class A of the Royal Fleet Reserve. It would be of no advantage to the State to allow these pensioners to join the Royal Fleet Reserve in their previous substantive rank.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when the first of the engine-room artificer apprentices are likely to go from the "Fisgard" to the Keyham Engineering College?

I regret I am not yet in a position to name a date. The scheme is being introduced in conjunction with the new scheme for training officers for engineering and electrical duties, the details of which are now being worked out.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the same cheap railway travelling facilities will be extended to naval and marine ratings employed on recruiting duties in inland towns as those now enjoyed by petty officer instructors to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, namely, when proceeding on leave for periods of seven days or more?

I am not in a position to add anything to the information which I gave to the hon. Member on the 30th ultimo in reply to a similar question, the matter being still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he has power to recommend the posthumous award of a Distinguished Flying Cross; whether he has considered the circumstances in which Lieutenant Douglas Blaxland Thompson, who was killed in action, was awarded this decoration; and whether he will recommend the presentation of this decoration to this gallant officer's next of kin?

The answer to the first part of the question is that the Air Ministry has no power to recommend the posthumous award of any decoration except the Victoria Cross. With regard to the second part, no award was made in the case of Lieutenant Thomson, nor can any recommendation by his commanding officer be traced. The practice, which is the natural corollary of the answer to the first part of the question, is that if an officer be recommended for the award of a decoration, and is afterwards killed, the decoration, if granted, is presented to his next of kin. If, however, he be killed before any recommendation has been made, nothing further can be done.

asked the Minister of Health under what Act of Parliament has the Ministry of Health altered the words of the National Health Insurance Act, incapable of work to mean incapable of heavy work, which is the only interpretation that can be given to Model Rule 12 (4) ( e ) of Model Rules, a 1919 edition, which interprets incapable of work to mean that a member in receipt of sick pay may do light work; and what is the Ministry's definition of light work?

The rule referred to by the hon. Member does not modify in any way the statutory requirement that, in order to be qualified for sickness or disablement benefit, an insured person must be incapable of work. Under Section 14 (2) of the National Insurance Act, 1911, every approved society is required to have a rule as to the behaviour of members while incapable of work and in receipt of sickness or disablement benefit. The rule in question, which was drawn up with the concurrence of the Advisory Committee composed of representatives of approved societies of all types, merely sets out the restrictions which a society should impose on the activities of a member whom they have already decided to be incapable of work. The Ministry does not lay down any definition of light work as it rests with each society to interpret its own rules in applying them to any particular case which may arise.