§ 27. Mr. N. Macphersonasked the Secretary of State for Air if he willl now grant tradesmen's status to trained civilian aircraft maintenance personnel after five years' service with his Department, in the same way as it has been granted to ex-R.A.F. personnel with a similar training and length of service.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerThe position of the civilian dilutees employed during the war in aircraft maintenance is governed by an agreement made by my Ministry with the Amalgamated Engineering Union in October, 1939. At a later date the Union agreed that, under certain conditions, men who learnt their trade during the war as uniformed airmen in the Royal Air Force should, when they left the Service arid obtained employment as civilians in our maintenance units, be regarded as fully skilled craftsmen. They felt unable to accept the same arrangement for civilian dilutees. The hon. Member will, I am sure, understand that the position of civilian dilutees affects the engineering industry as a whole and he will appreciate the Union's anxiety to ensure an orderly return to normal condition of employment in all the many sections of the industry.