§ Viscount WOLMERasked the Undersecretary of State the Air Ministry whether he is aware that a number of lads are being discharged from the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, before they have completed their apprenticeship; and whether, in view of the fact that there are no other engineering works in the neighbourhood, he will take steps to assist them to complete their apprenticeship in other engineering works in the country so that the time that they have already spent and the knowledge that they have already acquired is not wasted?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYI have been asked to answer tins question. No lads of the apprentice class (excepting nine who were dispensed with in June last as unsuitable for engineering training) have been discharged, and, in spite of the drastic reduction in the personnel of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, I hope that the necessity for discharging any lads of that class will be avoided. The remainder of lads discharged since the Armistice, 195 in number, have been selected only from those who were originally engaged as office boys, messengers, etc., but who were subsequently drafted into the shops and given an opportunity of learning a trade.