asked the Financial Secretary to the Admiralty whether, having regard to the great difference between the conditions of service in the Atlantic Fleet and those in the China and East Indies squadrons, the scale of foreign service leave can be increased for 21 days for each year of such service?

Although men serving in the Atlantic Fleet get 42 days' leave a year, this is to compensate them for the absence of weekend leave and other advantages which service at a home port carries with it. The grant of 10 days' drafting leave to men before proceeding abroad in effect raises the scale of foreign service leave to approximately 19 days a year, and as drafting is so arranged that all men get about the same amount of foreign, Atlantic Fleet and home harbour service, no reason is seen for altering existing arrangements.