HC Deb 23 July 1942 vol 382 cc196-7W
Mr. Lipson

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will empower local education authorities to give financial assistance, when considered desirable, to Air Training Corps units, as they can already do to units of Sea Cadets.

Mr. Butler

Units of the A.T.C. receive from the Air Ministry a substantially higher measure of grant-aid than units of the Sea Cadets and Army Cadet Force receive from the Admiralty and War Office respectively, and the Air Ministry have taken the view that it is not desirable that their grants, which are sufficient to cover the cost of the primary activities of the corps, and which may, where necessary, be augmented from a central fund maintained from Air Votes, should be supplemented by grant-aid from educational funds. As, however, the hon. Member will see from Administrative Memorandum No. 278, a copy of which I am sending him, local education authorities are encouraged to give A.T.C. units all possible assistance in the way of the provision of classes, instructors and the use of premises.