§ Sir J. Mellorasked the Secretary of State for Air why civilian education officers, who held commissions in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and were embodied at the outbreak of war, were demobilised shortly afterwards, thus reverting to civilian rates of emolument, which are much lower than the appropriate Service rates and do not include allowances exempt from Income Tax; why, although ordered to remain in uniform, they are not allowed any free railway warrants when on leave; and why they have been treated differently from other officers of the administrative and special duties branch?
§ Sir A. SinclairEducation officers of the R.A.F. Educational Service were engaged in peace-time as civilians. They were offered commissions in the R.A.F.V.R. before the outbreak of war, because it was then expected that most of them would cease to be needed for educational duties in war-time and would be available for posting to administrative and other duties of a Service character. In the event, however, it was found necessary to retain a large number of them on educational duties of substantially the same nature as they had been doing in peacetime. Their retention as mobilised officers of the R.A.F.V.R. would thus have meant that many of them, particu- 2095W larly those of junior rank, would have received considerably higher emoluments than they had previously received as civilians, whilst continuing to discharge the same civilian duties. In these circumstances the Air Council decided to demobilise those education officers who were still employed on educational duties. They thereupon reverted to civil rates of pay. As, however, they were serving in establishments manned almost entirely by uniformed personnel it was convenient that they should continue to wear uniform. In respect of entitlement to railway warrants, they are in the same position as other persons employed as civilians.