§ Mr. G. GRIFFITHSasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that considerable numbers of men joining the Royal Air Force are not given opportunities of completing the necessary periods to qualify for pensions and are compelled to join the labour market many years behind their former colleagues who declined to join up; and, seeing that if they have attained the age of 28 or 30 they would be considered too old to join the police or the Civil Service, whether he will reconsider the terms of enlistment?
§ Sir P. SASSOONThe number of airmen that can be re-engaged to complete 24 years' service for pension is necessarily limited by the requirements of the service in non-commissioned and warrant ranks. On leaving the Royal Air Force, whether on completion of their initial engagement or on discharge to pension, airmen are given preference for a large number of posts in the public service; in particular, there are 15,000 posts under the Air Ministry for which first preference is given to ex-airmen. In these circumstances, it would appear that there is no case for reconsidering the terms of enlistment.