HC Deb 14 November 1945 vol 415 cc2103-4
26. Air-Commodore Harvey

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why 1064687 L.A.C. Brooks, N.W., was refused permission, on 1st October, 1945, by the officer commanding R.A.F. Station, Wilmslow, to approach the hon. Member for Macclesfield on the subject of his temporary release on compassionate grounds to enable him to care for his sick wife.

Mr. Strachey

The facts of this case are disputed. If the hon. and gallant Member will send me particulars I will, of course, investigate them immediately. It would be most improper if any attempt were made to hinder an airman from communicating with his Member of Parliament on this or any other topic not involving security. On the other hand, I must repeat that a servingairman with a grievance must first try the normal official channels. My office cannot and will not take up a complaint until this has been done.

Air-Commodore Harvey

Is the Minister aware that this airman has made three applications for compassionate release, and that the operation on his wife has been twice postponed because that release has been refused? I will gladly give him the information he requires, which I have in writing.

Mr. Strachey

The point at issue in the question was whether there had been any attempt to prevent the airman com- municating with the hon. and gallant Member. I trust that that was not the case.

Mr. McGovern

Can the Under-Secretary state how it is that when headquarters in this country are satisfied regarding a compassionate case, they are sometimes overruled by a commanding officer?

Mr. Strachey

If the compassionate release, compassionate leave, or whatever it is, has been granted by the Air Ministry, it cannot be ruled out elsewhere.

Mr. Driberg

Would my hon. Friend substitute the word "should" for the word "must" near the end of his original answer? There is no "must" about it; there is an absolute right.

Mr. Strachey

It would be most improper if any attempt were made to interfere with that right; but he must use the normal channels first.

Mr. Eden

Would the hon. Gentleman be good enough to look at that matter again? This matter has been discussed and a ruling has been given on it before, and I do not think that the word "must" is the correct word.

Mr. Strachey

We take the view that the Air Ministry must be, as it were, a court of appeal; it cannot be a court of first instance in this matter, and we do think it is very much better if the normal Service channels are used first. Of course, there is nothing to prevent the airman communicating with anyone, but we cannot take up his case until he has tried the Service channels.

Air-Commodore Harvey

Can we have an assurance that commanding officers will forward applications to group headquarters for further consideration instead of turning them down on the spot?

Mr. Strachey

That is a question of procedure within the normal channels.

Major Conant

Do we understand that disciplinary action will be taken against a man if he writes to his Member of Parliament before trying Service channels?

Mr. Strachey

Oh no, Sir. If anything I have said suggests that, I withdraw it immediately. All I have said is that we cannot deal with the matter at all until it has been taken first through the normal channels.