§ Lord Balfour of InchryeMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the wide interest of British youth in all matters concerning aviation, it is proposed to associate the Royal Air Force with the proposed Home Service Force, the expansion of the Territorial Army and the new Teenager Scheme; and, if so, what form will such association take.
§ The Earl of AvonMy Lords, the Territorial Army, and the new Home Service Force which is linked to it, are administered by the Army and would form part of it on mobilisation. The broadly equivalent organisation in the Royal Air Force is the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and this is being expanded with the formation of three more regiment squadrons for airfield defence over the next two years; men from the age of 17 are eligible to join these squadrons. I take the noble Lord's reference to the Teenager Training Scheme to mean the Youth Adventure Scheme in which spare capacity in the training machines of the services is being used to provide short periods of adventure training for young people. The Royal Air Force is fully involved in this scheme, and the first course began at RAF Cosford on 19th April.
§ Lord Balfour of InchryeMy Lords, may I thank the Minister for that reply, and, in view of my satisfaction, I have no further questions to ask.