§ Mr. Silkinasked the Secretary of State for Air to what extent men of military age are being given commissions in the 1804W Air Training Corps; whether such men are thereby enabled to avoid military service and to carry on their normal occupations; and whether he will revise the regulations to prevent this method of evasion?
§ Sir A. SinclairCandidates for commissions in the Training Branch of the R.A.F.V.R. for service with the Air Training Corps are normally required to be between the ages of 35 and 55. By arrangement with the Minister of Labour and National Service, accepted candidates are not called up for general service with the Armed Forces under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act. It has not been easy to find men of the right type to act in an unpaid and part-time capacity as officers of a corps of nearly 200,000 boys; and I do not think that any change in the present practice is called for.