§ 35. Mr. T. Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Air how many ex-Army, Navy, or civil pensioners are employed in administrative posts at the various aerodromes throughout the country?
§ Sir K. WoodThe numbers of personnel of the kinds referred to by the hon. Member employed in administrative posts at Royal Air Force aerodromes are —Army and Indian Army, 106; Navy and Marines, 16; civil, 5.
§ Mr. WilliamsCan the right hon. Gentleman reply to the question as applied to aerodromes, bombing and fighting, in Great Britain, excluding India?
§ Sir K. WoodI will examine and see whether it is possible to give the information.
§ Mr. WilliamsWhile examining the question, is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the existing discontent among pilot officers who have gone through the mill, when they find that officers are sent to various aerodromes of which they know little or nothing, in high administrative capacity, thereby providing a bottle-neck and preventing the promotion of officers who know their business from A to Z?
§ Sir K. WoodThese are all retired officers employed under a scheme which provides for filling positions which would otherwise be filled by Regular officers of the Royal Air Force.
§ Mr. WilliamsWill the right hon. Gentleman examine the question of the difficulty of pilot officers obtaining promotion because of the number of pensioned Army, Navy and Civil Defence officers who are taking high administrative posts and preventing men within the Air Force securing the promotion to which they are entitled?
§ Sir K. WoodI will certainly look at any question which the hon. Member desires me to look at, but the question on the Order Paper simply asks the number of people concerned.