27. Mr. Alexanderasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of pilot officers to be entered during this year and following years under the recently announced new naval Air Branch; why a similar scheme for petty officer pilots has so far not been instituted; and whether he intends to introduce such a scheme, in view of the fact that non-commissioned officer pilots have been a success in our own and other air forces and in other naval air forces?
Mr. CooperFifty commissions in the Air Branch of the Royal Navy are being offered at present; a further entry will be made in the autumn of this year, but the numbers of future entries cannot yet be decided. A scheme for the selection and training of naval ratings as pilots will be promulgated this week.