Mr. TREVELYAN THOMSON:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will give the reasons for the increase in the Admiralty staff from 2,072 in July, 1914, to 3,569 at the present time, seeing that the total numbers borne on Vote A of the Admiralty have decreased from 146,047 to 99,477 during the same period?

As the reply is somewhat long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

The reply is as follows:

The increase in numbers is due to several causes:—

1. (1) Increased or new work developing on the Department as the result of Acts of the Legislature or decisions of His Majesty's Government such as Pensions Increase Act, Injuries in War Compensation Act, Merchant Shipping (Salvage) Act, 1916, Representation of the People Act, Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920; 2303 Admiralty Pensions Act, 1921, the introduction of Marriage Allowance, the payment of Naval Allotments weekly instead of monthly, the periodical revision of Naval Officers' pay and Allowances, and of Civil Salaries and Wages, the extended use of cost accountancy, etc.
2. (2) Work arising directly from the War. A staff numbering approximately 250 is at present employed on this account. This number will be very considerably reduced during the present month.
3. (3) The expansion of the Naval Staff which was practically non-existent before the War, and the development of all technical and experimental services due to the introduction of new weapons and forms of defence necessarily involve an increase in the staff of the Admiralty.
4. (4) Temporary loan of a staff of 65 draughtsmen, etc., from the Dockyards to deal with the designs of the new cruisers.

These developments are responsible for increases of staff which greatly outweigh reductions possible on account of decrease in personnel or of ships in commission.

I would add that the numbers are constantly under review with a view to effecting reductions.