Vote 2. Reserve and Auxiliary Services (Hansard, 18 March 1963)

§ Mr. Mulley
The Committee probably will not want to spend as much time on this Vote, as a smaller sum of money is 52 involved, but there are, perhaps, three matters about which we should ask. The first concerns the amount for the Royal Air Force Reserve, which, I notice, is to be substantially less than last year, despite the fact that the Reserve pay or the pay on training has, presumably, gone up and will be higher as a result of the general increase in Service pay. Does the reduction in the Vote mean that the R.A.F. Reserve is gradually being reduced? Can we be told the Government's policy concerning the future of this Reserve?
Secondly, in roughly the same kind of context, can the Under-Secretary of State tell us a little about the policy for university air squadrons? I have heard that these are less popular with young men than they were. Does the Air Council still look towards the university air squadrons to provide a substantial number of reserve officers for the Air Force? What is the policy with regard both to grants to the university air squadrons and to encouraging these squadrons to carry on as hitherto?
Thirdly, we should like to pay tribute to the voluntary work that is done within the Royal Observer Corps, but I wonder whether the Corps has very much to do with the Royal Air Force. I note that in the appropriations, about two-thirds of the total cost of the Corps is met by the Home Office, presumably because it fulfils more of a civil defence than of a military function. A residue falls, however, upon the Air Ministry Vote. Will the Under-Secretary tell us why this function seems to be shared between the two Departments and why we have this cross-posting of Votes? Would it not be more satisfactory if the Home Office took charge of the financial support to the Royal Observer Corps as a whole?

§ Colonel Sir Harwood Harrison (Eye)
I support what the hon. Member for Sheffield, Park (Mr. Mulley) has said about the Royal Observer Corps. I am glad to see that the grants and allowances to the spare-time officers and observers are substantially increased, by approximately one-third. I presume that the numbers of personnel has not been increased to this extent, but that it is the allowances and grants to the officers and men which have been increased.
Everyone will welcome the higher allowances and grants, because these 53 men perform a very useful function in defence, whether on the military or on the civilian side. In addition, they serve in extremely lonely units, comprising, perhaps, only two men in one place, one man somewhere else and three elsewhere. There are a number of them in my constituency, and I should like to thank my right hon. Friend the Secretary of Stale for this recognition of them in the way of higher allowances in the coming year.
I should like to put a question to my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary concerning Subhead D, "Grants, etc., to Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Associations". I have been a military member of the Suffolk Association for fifteen years. Periodically, we hear from the Air Force side that they do not get as big an allowance for certain of the functions of the cadets as is given by the Army Council. This sometimes has an invidious result. This year, I notice, the grant is down by £5,000. I wonder whether my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary will consider this point and at least aim at giving parity with the Army.

§ Mr. Colin Turner (Woolwich, West)
I notice that the Estimate for Subhead C, "Royal Auxiliary Air Force", is only slightly less than the figure for last year. I wonder whether this indicates that the City of London Security Squadron is to continue, or whether a decision has not yet been reached to disband it, which has been the fear of many of its members.
I notice that in Subhead E, the administrative expenses for the Air Training Corps are down by £5,000. I hope that this is not just a matter of cheese-paring. I am glad to see that the salaries and allowances of officers are higher, but I hope that the reduction of £5,000, although it is only a small item in the millions of pounds that we are dealing with, does not represent an attempt to cut back the wonderful work that this organisation is doing. It should be given every possible encouragement.

§ Mr. Antony Buck (Colchester)
I should like to reinforce what the hon. Member for Sheffield, Park (Mr. Mulley) has said about the university air squadrons. As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State knows, we are to have the new University of Essex partly in 54 his constituency and partly in mine. I should like to know from my hon. Friend what is to be the policy of his Department under this Vote as to the possibility of establishing a university air squadron at this new university. Do the sums already included in the Vote represent any planning which may have been done for the establishment of a squadron at Colchester, or, indeed, at any of the other new universities?
The University of Essex would, perhaps, be particularly well suited for the establishment of a university air squadron, since the vice-chancellor is himself a former Royal Air Force fighter pilot and played an active part in the working of the university air squadron at the University of Liverpool.
I wonder whether, in dealing with that point, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary will take the opportunity to scotch the rumours, which undoubtedly have been prevalent, that the future of university air squadrons at other universities may he thought to be in some way in jeopardy. My information is that their popularity has not declined, that they are still very well supported and that those who co-operate in organising them at the universities speak most highly of the contribution which they make to the character-building, and so on, of young people at universities.
Perhaps my hon. Friend can tell us whether he has had any co-ordination with other Service Departments with a view to determining whether it shall be an air squadron, an O.C.T.U., or a naval training school which is established at the new universities.

§ Mr. Ridsdale
The reason for the reduction in the Vote for the Royal Air Force Reserve, about which the hon. Member for Sheffield, Park (Mr. Mulley) asked, is that the Reserve will be slightly smaller this year than last year. Its future size will depend upon the outcome of consideration which we are at present giving to Reserve policy. I hope that it will not be long before we are able to make an announcement.

§ Mr. Mulley
Will either the hon. Gentleman or his right hon. Friend make an announcement to the House when a decision is taken to revise the Reserve?

§ Mr. Ridsdale
The announcement will be made in due time. I cannot say exactly when, but I hope that it will be made fairly soon.
The question of the university air squadrons has been raised by the hon. Member for Sheffield, Park and my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester (Mr. Buck). I am grateful for the remarks that have been made. First, I would say to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Park that the university air squadrons are no less popular indeed we are greatly encouraged by the support that we are getting towards the university air squadron. I would like to say to my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester that I shall have the utmost sympathy with the remarks that he has made to see that when the University of Essex is established at Colchester we have perhaps the best university air squadron in the country.
As I said in a recent debate, the university air squadrons are a very valuable source of recruitment for all branches of the Royal Air Force, particularly of pilots. Last year, 77 members of the university air squadrons were granted commissions in the Royal Air Force of which 55 were as aircrews. This is a higher figure than we have previously achieved, and I hope that this trend will continue, as we have every reason to believe that it will. Equally important is that the wastage rate in flying training, as with our ex-scholarship boys, is significantly lower than among other direct entrants.
The university air squadrons cost about £1,300,000 a year, which is much the same as two years ago. Economies have been made and have offset pay and price increases during the period. It is not only the numbers but the saving in training which makes the squadrons so valuable to the Royal Air Force. I would like to point out that about one-fifth of all the air rank officers in the General Duties Branch are graduates and that more than half of these are ex-university air squadron men.
My hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Eye (Sir H. Harrison) paid a kind tribute to the members of the Royal Observer Corps, for which I thank him. My hon. and gallant Friend and the hon. Member for Sheffield, Park asked me questions about the Corps. The Royal Observer Corps has continued to build 56 up its strength during the past year and the total membership of the Corps, I am glad to say, has increased. The hon. Member for Sheffield, Park asked me why does not the Home Office pay the entire cost of the Royal Observer Corps. In 1963–64, the Home Office will bear 80 per cent. of the running cost of the Corps. This recognises its major interest in the work of the Royal Observer Corps which is concerned with civil defence, that is, the reporting of nuclear bursts and fallout. The share of 20 per cent. still borne on the Air Vote is in respect of our interest in low level aircraft recognition and reporting.
My hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Eye questioned me about the Territorial Associations. The grants to these Associations are slightly down because the expenditure on building maintained by the Associations is expected to be smaller in the current year. I assure him that there has been no change of policy with regard to the Territorial Associations, which play a very great part in the reserve forces of the Royal Air Force, as they do for the Army as well.
I was asked a question about the County of London Security Squadron by my hon. Friend the Member for Woolwich, West (Mr. Turner). It is true that the future continuation of this squadron is under consideration. No decision has yet been reached, although we expect to make one shortly. I know that its members, who are very keen and devoted, are disturbed by the possibility of its disbandment, and I would share their regret if it were decided that the squadron had reached the end of its useful life. It is, however, a fact that the scope for the useful employment of these enthusiastic reserves has become small in recent years and we are finding it increasingly difficult to justify the not inconsiderable cost involved. I assure the Committee that we are well aware of the squadron's excellent spirit and that no decision will be taken without the most careful and sympathetic consideration at a high level.
I should like to say to my hon. Friend the Member for Woolwich, West that he need have no fears about the £5,000 which we have been able to cut down in the expenditure of the A.T.C. because, as President of the A.T.C., I am most 57 anxious to see that this Corps flourishes now as it has done in the past.