HC Deb 02 July 1956 vol 555 c87W
Mr. Pitman

asked the Secretary of State for Air when the term "dilutee" first came to be officially applied to employees of his Department; and what this description was intended to imply.

Mr. Birch

The term "dilutee" was first used by the Air Ministry in October, 1939, when the Temporary Relaxation of Existing Customs Agreement was signed. It denotes an industrial employee who has not served an apprenticeship or had equivalent engineering experience but is nevertheless employed on skilled work.