§ Colonel ASHLEYasked the Secretary of State for War and Air whether he is aware that Second-Lieutenant P. V. Baines, late Royal Flying Corps, S.R., has been refused his gratuity owing to an adverse report by an officer under whom he was serving; whether this officer himself was subsequently sent home; whether he is aware that cases have arisen in the Royal Flying Corps in which adverse reports have been made upon officers owing to their superiors in some instances being quite inexperienced in the customs of the Service and not realising their responsibility towards their subordinates in these matters; and whether, in view of the fact that Second-Lieutenant Baines received good reports from his other commanding officers and was willing to join any other branch of the military forces when his unsuitability for flying was evident, he will cause an investigation to be made into this case with a view to the gratuity being issued?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONI have carefully considered the question of this officer's gratuity, and am not prepared to reverse the decision already given.