§ 84. Mr. McKayasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what additional arrangements are being made to provide housing accommodation for the families of meteorological officers when they are posted to foreign stations.
Mr. WardThere are at present 214 married quarters for Air Ministry civilians serving overseas and the provision of another 44 has been approved. Further quarters will be provided in certain areas but the programme is affected by redeployment from the Canal Zone and from Iraq and total numbers have not yet been decided. Meteorological officers are eligible to occupy these quarters.
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§ 85. Mr. McKayasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is aware of the difficulties that meteorological officers who have returned from service abroad have in finding housing accommodation in this country; and, where such officers have had to buy a house to meet their needs, if he will give such officers a reasonable time of service in this country before they are called to do their second period of service abroad.
Mr. WardWe already do all we can to give meteorological officers who have served overseas, as long as possible in this country before posting them for a further tour abroad. I regret that it would not be practicable, in selecting men for overseas posting, to distinguish between those who own their own house and those in rented accommodation.
§ 86. Mr. McKayasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will give a list of the meteorological stations abroad where there are educational facilities for the children of his staff; and what choice of station men who are sent abroad have when they have children of school age.
Mr. WardI am sending the hon. Member a list giving the particulars asked for. As regards the second part of the Question we try to avoid sending men with children of school age to areas without educational facilities.