§ 8. Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that considerable dissatisfaction exists amongst Royal Air Force fitters, who are being kept idle on account of maintenance work being farmed out to civilian contractors who do the work of these Royal Air Force men and use the facilities of the Royal Air Force aerodromes for this purpose; and whether he has any statement to make thereon?
§ Captain BalfourI am not aware of any considerable dissatisfaction among Royal Air Force personnel at the present system, and I cannot agree that the position generally is as suggested by the hon. Member. Ordinary day-to-day maintenance work at Royal Air Force units is carried out by Royal Air Force personnel. Work beyond the capacity of the Royal Air Force Unit is undertaken by the civilian repair organisation which is ad ministered by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Aircraft Production. This division of labour was arranged in order to give flexibility in the repair and maintenance organisation. It may, of course, sometimes happen that civilian workmen are working at a unit where, for operational reasons, Royal Air Force personnel are not at the time fully occupied. The arrangement which is kept under constant review has, however, generally proved its value.
§ Mr. EdwardsIs my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that skilled fitters in the R.A.F. have to supervise the maintenance work done by trainees, and very often have to occupy their spare time in sweeping out the hangars, while trainees are doing the work they have been trained to do?
§ Captain BalfourI think my hon. Friend is misinformed. The Civilian Repair Organisation men are not trainees but skilled men. The training of Royal Air Force fitters is of a general character, and does not include the specialised training in certain directions which is necessary for the full maintenance of the different types of aircraft.
§ Mr. EdwardsWill my right hon. and gallant Friend be good enough to look at some correspondence I have in connection with this matter?
§ Captain BalfourCertainly, Sir.
§ Mr. ManderIs it not the case that there is at the present time an excess of R.A.F. fitters who might be employed in stead of some of the civilians?
§ Captain BalfourThat is a different question.
§ 17. Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the Minister of Aircraft Production what are the financial arrangements in regard to the employment of civilian contractors on aircraft maintenance work on Royal Air Force stations?
§ The Minister of Aircraft Production (Lieut.-Colonel Moore-Brabazon)Broadly, the arrangements referred to provide for a fair and reasonable price for the work carried out. The precise arrangements vary according to the actual work done.
§ Mr. EdwardsCould the right hon. and gallant Gentleman tell us whether or not any of this work is done on the old basis of cost plus 10 per cent.?
§ Lieut.-Colonel Moore-BrabazonWhen we have an engine to repair, it is done on a pre-arranged price, because we know that we have to strip it and put it together again. In the case of a machine which is strained or damaged, we cannot make a price before we start to pull it to pieces, because we do not know what damage has been done. Consequently, it is difficult to make a fixed price for this sort of repairs. In these cases it is done, I am afraid, on those lines.
§ 18. Mr. Edwardsasked the Minister of Aircraft Production whether he is aware that a maintenance unit is being set up on a South Wales aerodrome by a private contractor, namely, Messrs. E. Curran, thereby abandoning the use of skilled 1111 Royal Air Force fitters, who will in future be solely used for the purpose of super intending civilian trainees; and whether he has any statement to make thereon?
§ Lieut.-Colonel Moore-BrabazonI am afraid that my hon. Friend is not completely informed as to the facts. What is happening at the aerodrome which he has in mind is that facilities are being created for the carrying out by a civilian firm of repair of aircraft which is beyond the capacity of the Royal Air Force personnel on the station. It is not the case that this personnel will be responsible for super intending the work done by the civilian firm referred to.
§ Mr. EdwardsWill the right hon. and gallant Gentleman inform the House whether or not this firm has ever had any experience at all in the repair of aircraft?
§ Lieut.-Colonel Moore-BrabazonI dare say not, but there are plenty of firms who have not had experience yet who soon will have.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerIn view of the difficulty of costing repair work, will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman consider making a national repair service, as has been done so successfully by the Admiralty?
§ Lieut.-Colonel Moore-BrabazonWe have a national repair service, but where there are firms existing we use them.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerWould it not be more economical to use the national service?
§ Lieut.-Colonel Moore-BrabazonThe matter of geography comes in, and the movement of machines.