Vote 2. Reserve and Auxiliary Services (Hansard, 9 March 1964)

§ Sir H. Harrison
Those of us who are members of Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Associations are always glad to hear at our meetings the reports of our county or cadet forces. I should like to pay tribute to a detachment in my constituency at Stowmarket which appears always to be extremely smart and well turned out. It seems to me from time to time that some of these cadets either win a scholarship or get air passages to the R.A.F. overseas. Is this generally done so that these air cadets—or some of them—can do their annual training overseas? Can my hon. Friend also say whether these cadets can now get gliding training as well?
I pay high tribute to all who take part in the voluntary services and I particularly wish to speak about the rôle of the Royal Observer Corps. I have written to my hon. Friend about some of the officers and men who served in the Corps in the past. This year, under the grants and allowances for spare- 132 time officers and observers, there is a slight increase of £8,000. Does this mean that my hon. Friend expects there to be more spare-time observers and officers or that there is to be at last an increase in grants and allowances for these men, who take such great pride in the very essential job they are undertaking?

§ Mr. Mulley
Will the Under-Secretary of State also say something about the university air squadrons? There seems to be some dispute about their rôle and cost. As far as I can see, the only item in this Vote is £1,000. Surely these squadrons cost rather more than that?
Are flying scholarships taken into account? I believe that the R.A.F. sends a number of promising young men to university at its own expense. They are given pay and allowances while there. Can the hon. Gentleman tell us the numbers involved in this scheme?

§ Sir Arthur Vere Harvey (Macclesfield)
Earlier this evening, discussing the Army, we were concerned with auxiliary forces—the Territorial Army—and I want to refer particularly to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in this debate. Will my hon. Friend tell us something about it? I know that at the moment he is not concerned about its numbers, but it is only a question of time before the Government will be concerned.
The voluntary principle in such forces is worth keeping. Years ago I deprecated it when the R.A.F.V.R. was diminished greatly in size and importance and I should like to hear more details. What is it now doing? Is it capable of expanding and of playing an effective rôle? We are all very proud of it. I know that there is such a body and we should certainly like to know how it is working.

§ Mr. Ridsdale
My hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Eye (Sir H. Harrison) asked about the air cadet forces. The officer strength has tended to rise and now stands at 3,950. The Air Training Corps cadet strength has, however, fallen, with the disbanding of a number of uneconomic squadrons, to 28,500, although the number in the R.A.F. section of the Combined Cadet Force has increased to more than 9,000 following the overall review and reorganisation of the force.
133 As my hon. and gallant Friend will know, basic sections were abolished in 1963 so that the boys now go directly into the Service cadet section of their choice. I should like to say what a good source of Royal Air Force recruiting the Air Training Corps is. In the 12 months up to 31st December, 1963, it provided 960 aircraft apprentices and boy entrants, or 41 per cent. of the total entering the Royal Air Force, 68 Regular airmen, or 20 per cent. of those required, 31 Regular airmen—aircrew, or 36 per cent., 119 officer cadets, or 40 per cent. of those required, and 188 direct entry aircrew, or 42 per cent. of those required. Numbers have fallen with the general decrease in recruiting needs, but ex-air cadets have maintained or increased their contributions to the intakes in all categories. They deserve great praise for this.
I was asked by my hon. and gallant Friend whether aid cadet forces have camped overseas. Facilities have been made available for air cadets to attend R.A.F. stations in Germany, beginning with the Easter and Summer camps in 1964. The 740 cadets selected will pay towards the cost of hired charter flights necessary to transport them to and from Germany, but the sum they pay will be only a small nominal one.
I am glad to say that the air cadet forces have been doing quite a lot of gliding. I am sure that this will please my hon. and gallant Friend. Despite the severe winter, which made gliding impossible in the early months of 1963, I am glad to say that the air cadet gliding organisation has again excelled itself. Two thousand two hundred and thirty-one gliding proficiency certificates were awarded to those trainees reaching the elementary glider pilot standard, and of these 167 reached advanced standard and 67 obtained soaring certificates. In the first full year in which young cadets were flown as passengers, 20,266 flights were made by some 7,000 cadets. Despite the closing of certain airfields, the organisation achieved the excellent total of 136,345 glider launches.
The 350 flying scholarships awarded to air cadets have continued to be fully subscribed. The 100 special flying awards made available in 1962 to qualified boys who are interested in joining the R.A.F. but who have no air cadet 134 organisation at their schools were fully taken up, and by the end of 1963, 67 awards had been made from a further allocation of 100 places. Both schemes will continue into 1964–65.
The hon. Member for Sheffield, Park (Mr. Mulley) asked me about the university air squadrons. At present there are squadrons at 18 universities, the latest recruit being the University of Wales Air Squadron, which was formed in August, 1963 at the R.A.F. St. Athan. The squadrons continue to be a valuable source of recruits to the Royal Air Force, and last year 56 ex-university air squadron members were awarded commissions 40 as aircrew. The hon. Gentleman asked about the cost of the university air squadrons. It is about £1,300,000, the same as three years ago. The cost of the new squadron in Wales has been ment by economies elsewhere.
8.15 p.m.
The hon. Gentleman also asked about the important source of officer recruits, the university scholarships which are given to officers to do their training there. I have not got the exact figures with me, but we are very pleased with the new scholarship scheme. It is being very well subscribed and is an exciting new potential source for the recruitment of officers. I will give the hon. Gentleman further details later.
I was asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Sir A. V. Harvey) about the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Its four maritime Headquarter units at Northwood, Plymouth, Belfast and Edinburgh continue to recruit and train volunteers for the important rôle of reinforcing the operational control organisation of Coastal Command. During the last year there has been a steady flow of recruits, although this has been partly offset by members leaving. One of the difficulties is that in a highly trained technical force useful jobs can be found only for those who have recently retired and whose skills consequently are still being practised.

§ Sir A. V. Harvey
Was that the sum total of the activities of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force?

§ Mr. Ridsdale
I am sad to say that the Royal Auxiliary Air Force at the 135 moment is composed of the four squadrons of Coastal Command. It is a sad day, when one considers the great work which was done by this force, that we are able to find only those four squadrons at present. I can assure my hon. Friend that we will take note of this point. If it were possible to do something to expand this part of the Service, we would certainly do it.
I was asked by my hon. and gallant Friend a question about the Royal Observer Corps. I visited the Corps camp last summer in Norfolk. The question about pay was put to me. I have made inquiries and have found that at present most people say that the present scale is enough for getting the numbers that are needed. I do not want to appear to be complacent about this. I assure my hon. and gallant Friend that the observations he has made have been noted by me and by the officials in the Air Ministry.

§ Sir H. Harrison
My hon. Friend says that the pay is sufficient to get the numbers required. This may be so. Is that pay fair for the numbers that are there?

§ Mr. Ridsdale
I have looked into this. I have satisfied myself that at present it is fair. If my hon. and gallant Friend knows of any further case I will look into it.