95. Mr. Lucasasked the Undersecretary of State for Air whether he will state the reasons for requiring Royal Air Force personnel who are not taking part in, but who wish to attend, Her Majesty's Review at Odiham, on 15th July, to set this one day's absence against their annual leave entitlement; and whether he will make an exception and allow all personnel who can be released and who wish to attend to do so without prejudice to their normal entitlement to leave.
Mr. WardCommanding officers have discretion to allow airmen to be absent, subject to the exigencies of the Service, for periods of less than forty-eight hours without this counting against their leave entitlement. Instructions are being issued to remind Commanding officers that these normal powers to allow absence will be available to them for the day of the Review.