17. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Ian Fraserasked the Secretary of State for Air if he will lengthen substantially the time during which disabled officers and men may remain in the Service so that they may enjoy the pay and status thus afforded and continue to wear uniform, thus minimising the invidious distinction be- 1342 tween serving men and discharged men who are in the same hospital at the same time.
§ Sir A. SinclairThis is being examined, but I must warn my hon. and gallant Friend that his proposal involves many difficult problems.
§ Sir I. FraserIs my right hon, Friend aware that there are—particularly in his Service, but, of course, in all Services—a number of most grievously wounded men who have facial injuries and burns, and that it is not just sentimental to say that the act of putting them out of the Service in the middle of their recovery of health, has a profound and undesirable psychological effect upon them? Will my right hon. Friend concert with other war Ministers to see whether they can extend this time to cover the majority of those cases, and thus help their recovery?
§ Sir A. SinclairI do assure my hon. and gallant Friend that I entirely share his feelings, and I am glad that they have been expressed. That is why this question is now under examination.