asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that Mr. A. Mor, an employe in His Majesty's Dockyard at Gibraltar, was drowned in December, 1933, whilst engaged in discharging ammunition; and whether any and, if so, what compensation has been paid to his widow?

The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Sir Bolton Eyres Mansell):

The death of Mr. Mor was reported to the Admiralty at the time of its occurrence. His widow was granted a gratuity of £43 17s. 6d. under Section 3 of the Superannuation Act, 1914, but she was held to be not entitled to compensation under the terms of the Treasury Warrant framed under the Section 1 of the Superannuation Act, 1887, as there was no evidence that her husband's death was caused either in actual discharge of his duty, or from an injury specifically attributable to the nature of his duty.

Seeing that the total amount given as compensation in this case was £43, does not the First Lord consider it is time a revision of the law of compensation in the dockyard at Gibraltar was undertaken by him or by the Governor of that place?

Sir B. EYRES MONSELL:

This question does not affect the Admiralty only in connection with the dockyard, but all people in Government employ.

I have already approached two Departments on this question. If I desire to have this compensation ordinance entirely changed, and proper terms of compensation given to injured people, or the relatives of those killed, must I approach the Prime Minister?

Sir B. EYRES MONSELL:

I do not know whether the hon. Member has in mind a local ordinance. If so, it would not affect this question.

is it not the case that this particular employé came directly under Admiralty conditions, and that if he had been an employe sent out from Portsmouth or from Sheerness the amount paid to him in compensation—or to his widow—would have been considerably in excess of £43, and does not that call for reconsideration on the part of the Admiralty?

Sir B. EYRES MONSELL:

This is not a question affecting merely the Admiralty, but it concerns the whole Government in relation to all Departments.

In view of the fact that different sums in compensation are paid to different individuals working on the same ship, will the right hon. Gentleman, as First Lord of the Admiralty, approach the other Government Departments concerned to see whether some arrangement can be come to under which a better law of compensation, more just in its operation, can be brought into operation in Gibraltar dockyard?