asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why journeymen electricians are not allowed to be engine- room artificers on the same conditions as apprentice fitters of 20 years of age; and why electrical wiremen are not allowed to enter the mechanical section of artificers while able seamen can become wiremen and qualify for a full electrician's card at the end of the war or on discharge.

Mr. Alexander:

With regard to the first part of the Question, I presume the hon. Member refers to electrical artificers rather than to engine-room artificers. A high degree of skill in precision mechanical fitting and turning work or in trades involving precision work is required of electrical artificers, a qualification attained by apprentice fitters but not normally found in journeymen electricians, although any electrician who could pass the trade test would be acceptable as an electrical artificer. In reply to the second part of the Question, there is nothing to prevent electrical wiremen becoming electrical artificers if they can pass the trade test. Seamen are trained and transferred to wiremen only for certain special duties, the wiremen branch generally being reserved for electricians.

Sir R. Younģ:

If I send my right hon. Friend copies of the correspondence I have received about a skilled man being refused permission to enter the engine-room artificer section and the mechanical section and made to go into the ordinary wiremen's section, will he go into the matter?

Mr. Alexander:

Most certainly I will examine the correspondence but I attach great importance to journeymen electricians being able to pass the Service trade tests.