HC Deb 07 August 1940 vol 364 c188
19. Sir Cooper Rawson

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will refuse to accept in the Air Force any indentured apprentice, who has served part of his time, under the age of 20 if his employer is able and willing to continue his training and thus save the wastage of productive power which exists to-day in engineering, shipbuilding and other trades?

Sir A. Sinclair

No, Sir. Suitable applicants are accepted into the Royal Air Force between 18 and 20 years of age as volunteers, provided they are free under the Schedule of Reserved Occupations to enlist into His Majesty's Armed Forces. For the purposes of this schedule an apprentice is treated in the same way as a qualified tradesman in the appropriate trade.