HC Deb 21 November 1945 vol 416 cc414-5
8. Mr. Osborne

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will reconsider forthwith the decision announced in his letter of 7th November, regarding the release to his peacetime occupation of Mr. Henry Wright, who, at 52 years of age, three times wounded in the 1914–18 war, and discharged with the loss of part of his right hand as totally unfit, fears that he may lose his peacetime employment to a younger man unless he is promptly released; and why this man discharged from the Army as totally unfit is indispensable to the maintenance of Kelstern aerodrome.

Mr. Strachey

As I said in my letter to the hon. Member, we have always intended to release Mr. Wright as soon as we could find or train another man to take charge of the labourers at Kelstern airfield. Another man is now under training and should be able to take over by the end of the month, thus releasing this experienced rabbit catcher. [Laughter.]

Mr. Osborne

Is the Under-Secretary of State aware that because this man is a rabbit catcher, it is no cause of amusement to him that he is being held in the Air Force against his will?

Mr. Strachey

I quite agree that the function of this man is an important one, and we are releasing him.

Mr. Osborne

It is not a cause for amusement.

82. Mr. Driberg

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that 1178084 A.C. Hawkins, G., made five applications through the usual channels before action was taken to secure his remustering to a trade in which he had civilian experience, such remustering having been authorised on 9th May last and that he has now been unemployed for four weeks in a transit camp in the Middle East awaiting a posting to enable him to proceed to a unit stationed one mile from this camp; and whether he will investigate the circumstances of this delay and expedite this airman's remustering.

Mr. Strachey

In spite of an acute shortage of equipment assistants—his R.A.F. trade—this airman was given special permission to be misemployed as a printer, which was what he wanted. I am inquiring into the alleged delay in his posting.

Mr. Driberg

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind this evidence that the usual channels do not always work as expeditiously as Ministers hope they will, and will he do all he can really to make them channels and not brick walls?

Mr. Strachey

Certainly, Sir.

89. Mr. Garry Allighan

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how far the undertaking given to Sergeant N. E. Carr, R.A.F., Bombay, dated nth September, 1945, a copy of which has been sent to him, has been implemented; and whether he expects to be able fully to implement this undertaking by the end of the year.

Mr. Strachey

Sergeant Carr was sent a copy of the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Mr. Driberg) on 22nd August saying that there was a real prospect that the unevenness in the rate of release as between trades would greatly diminish by the end of the year. As I have since told the House, this hope will not quite be fulfilled, although there has been a real improvement, owing to the speed-up of the general rate of release.

Mr. Allighan

By how much does the hon. Gentleman think that his expectations will fall short of his previous undertaking?

Mr. Strachey

It entirely depends upon how much the rate of release can be speeded up.