§ 24. Mr. Purbrickasked the Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the experience of many officers of the Volunteer Reserve of the Royal Air Force in positions in civil life in which they achieved high reputations for organising, administrative and executive ability, more of them will be promoted to air rank where it would be possible for their abilities to be made more use of?
§ Sir A. SinclairIt is the policy to promote to air rank the best officers available, irrespective of whether they are regular or non-regular.
§ Mr. PurbrickIn view of the well known fact that there are some thousands of these very highly qualified men from civil walks of life now serving in the Volunteer Reserve, surely there must be more than three of them who would qualify for air rank, and would it be possible for the right hon. Gentleman to have a comb-out to see whether he could not find more men with excellent brains who might be made use of than are being used at the present time?
§ Sir A. SinclairI am not sure that my hon. Friend appreciates that the great majority of the posts which are of air rank have to be filled by officers with flying experience, whereas the great majority of the officers to whom he refers are without flying experience. Subject to that consideration, I can assure him that our object is to choose the best men for the posts, irrespective of whether they are regular officers or not.