§ 12. Mr. Dribergasked the Undersecretary of State for Air if he is aware that equipment assistants, in Group 26, are still retained in 351 M.U., R.A.F., C.M.F., although some men of the same trade and in the same group serving in the United Kingdom have been released; and if he will take action to repair this breach and prevent similar breaches of the undertaking, that men serving overseas will be brought home in time to be released in their groups.
§ Mr. StracheyEquipment assistants in Group 26 are due for release between 1st and 31st of the present month irrespective of where they may be serving. The command concerned has stated that airmen in this group will be on their way home from No. 351 Maintenance Unit next week and there is every reason to believe that they will be released on time. No equipment assistants in Group 26 at home were released before 1st March. I shall be grateful for my hon. Friend's assistance in scotching these persistent and entirely unwarranted rumours of uneven release as between home and abroad.
§ 14. Mr. Lipsonasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will 313 rescind the order that there shall be no release of accounting clerks in March, in view of the fact that a promise was given to release Groups 24 and 25 this month.
§ Mr. StracheyThere has been no Order cancelling the release of accounting clerks in March. Those in Groups 24 and 25 will be released this month as already announced.
§ Mr. LipsonWill the hon. Gentleman see that this information is given to the men concerned, because from correspondence I have received there is obviously some misunderstanding about this?
§ Mr. StracheyYes, Sir. I have tried to trace how the rumour could have originated. Apparently there was a faulty teleprinter transmission of a "demob" form, but that is the only trace we can find. It did not actually say that even there, but it might have been read that way.