§ 37. Brigadier Lowasked the Secretary of State for Air whether it is the Government's policy that senior R.A.F. members of the Air Council should be permitted to write articles in the Press on current R.A.F. problems.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Air (Mr. Geoffrey de Freitas)Statements on policy are, of course, reserved for Ministers. However, senior R.A.F. officers, including members of the Air Council, may occasionally have to help the Service by speaking at Press conferences, giving broadcasts or writing special articles for the Press. The article which may have given rise to the hon. and gallant Member's question was in furtherance of the R.A.F. recruiting campaign.
§ Brigadier LowIs it not desirable, since the need for recruits affects the other Services, that the Air Ministry should coordinate their policy in this respect with the War Office and the Admiralty?
§ Mr. de FreitasThere is a coordination of policy in this connection. I am satis-, fied that what was done was properly done in the interests of Royal Air Force recruiting and did not conflict with any policy at all.