VOTE 1.-STATEMENT showing NUMBERS and AMOUNTS provided for the several classes of OFFICERS, MEN and Boys under Subhead A. of this Vote for the year ending 31 March, 1928.

VICTUALLING AND CLOTHING FOR THE NAVY.

I. ESTIMATE of the Sum which will be required in the Year ending 31 March 1928 to defray the Expense of VICTUALLING and CLOTHING for the NAVY, including the Cost of VICTUALLING ESTABLISHMENTS at HOME and ABROAD. Four Million Two Hundred and Sixty-one Thousand Six Hundred Pounds. (£4,261,600.)

II. SUBHEADS under which this Vote will be accounted for.

IN LIEU OF CLOTHING, &c. .. 1,370,950 1,502,400
N.-ROYAL MARINE CLOTHING
AND APPOINTMENTS, AND
ALLOWANCES IN LIEU

131,450

4,000

95,000

99,000

O.-ROYAL MARINE BARRACK

NOTE. In addition to the Cash Vote of 4,261,600. stocks of Victualling Stores purchased in previous years will be drawn upon without replacement during 1927 to the extent of 117,000.

NAVY ESTIMATES, 1927.

VOTE 2.

[Vote 2.]

Victualling and Clothing for the Navy.

This Vote provides primarily for the cost of supplying the Royal Navy and Royal Marines with food, clothing, and mess gear, including the maintenance of the necessary Victualling Establishments at Home and Abroad.

Provision is also made in the Vote for the cost of bedding, soap, tobacco; also equipment for the Royal Marines, band instruments, and stores for Royal Marine Barracks.

Provision for new buildings and repairs in connection with the Victualling Yards, for fixed machinery and repairs, and for non-effective charges of the staffs of those Establishments is made in Vote 10 (Works, Buildings, &c.), Vote 8, III, H. (Machinery), and Vote 15 (Civil Superannuation) respectively, these being self-contained Votes designed to show the cost of such services in connection with the Navy as a whole. The salaries of the Director of Victualling and his Head-quarters staff are included in Vote 12 (Admiralty Office).

The scope of the several Subheads of the Vote is explained in the separate memoranda relating to the Subheads.

The general arrangements for victualling and clothing the Royal Navy and Royal Marines are as follow:

Victualling, Royal Navy.-Officers and Men of the Royal Navy in receipt of ordinary. Naval pay are entitled, as part of their emoluments, to a free supply of necessary food or to allowances in lieu. This emolument in the case of men ordinarily takes the form of the supply of a daily ration consisting of certain staple articles of food and known as the "Standard Ration," supplemented by a money allowance (Messing Allowance), out of which the men purchase at their discretion the extra foodstuffs required to complete their messing, either additional quantities from Naval stocks of articles comprised in the Standard Ration or other articles, e.g., bacon, margarine, &c., from the canteens which are run by the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes.

This system is varied in the case of Officers, and in certain other cases, by the grant of a commuted cash payment, representing the equivalent of the standard ration and the messing allowance.

In Ships and Establishments in which the General Mess System is in force, the complete messing is undertaken by the Admiralty.

Mess gear is provided for the use of Officers and Men at Government expense.

(Continued overleaf.)

Officers and Men who are unable to be victualled from the usual service sources, on account of being detached from their ships or for other reasons, and have to make their own messing arrangements entirely, receive allowances to provide their own food. When on long leave, Men receive the same allowance.

Men entitled to the spirit ration receive an allowance in lieu, unless they prefer to receive the ration in kind.

Victualling, Royal Marines.-The arrangements for victualling the Royal Navy apply also to the Royal Marines, the previous arrangement under which the Royal Marines in shore establishments were victualled on the Army system having been abolished in 1920.

Clothing, Royal Navy.-In the case of Men, the kits required are provided and maintained at the public expense. The first kit on entry is supplied in kind and an annual allowance is granted for upkeep. Gratuities are also granted to Men on advancement when such advancement entails a change of kit. Protective clothing is supplied on loan where the conditions of service require it.

Facilities are granted for Officers and Men to purchase clothing, soap and tobacco from Navy stocks.

Reservists are supplied with free kits as required by the conditions of their service.

Officers of the Royal Navy on the grant of their commissions, and Petty Officers on promotion to Warrant or Commissioned rank, receive allowances in aid of the provision of uniforms, but subsequently maintain their uniforms at their own expense.

Allowances are also granted to Mates and Commissioned Officers from Warrant rank on promotion to higher rank.

Clothing, Royal Marines.-The clothing of Non-Commissioned Officers and Men is supplied and maintained at the public expense, replacements being made in kind,

Officers of the Royal Marines on the grant of their commissions and Non-Commissioned Officers and Men on promotion to Warrant or Commissioned rank, receive allowances in aid of the provision of uniforms, but subsequently maintain their uniforms at their own expense. Allowances are also granted to Second Lieutenants granted Corps Commissions and to Commissioned Officers from Warrant rank on promotion to higher rank.

Tobacco. Subject to Customs regulations, tobacco is supplied to Officers and Men, free of duty, and at a charge which covers the cost to the Admiralty.

Note.--The provision under the debit Subheads of this Vote includes the cost of provisions, clothing, soap and tobacco required for issue to Officers and Men on repayment. The recoveries from the Officers and Men are included in Subhead Q., Appropriations in Aid.