§ Mr. Churchillasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF personnel have premature voluntary retirement applications outstanding; what is the longest a premature voluntary retirement applicant has been told he must wait prior to discharge; what representations he has received from applicants in regard to these delays; and what reply he has sent.
Mr. Wellheloved,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 13th February 1978;
824WThe only such countries for which figures are readily available are India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and these are given in the table below. The figures relate to applications to join fiancées settled in the United Kingdom irrespective of the nationality of the fiancées. The reasons for refusal in each case are not available but frequent reasons are that the fiancées are not settled in the United Kingdom, that either party is under age or already married, or that no evidence is produced that a marriage has been arranged.
by the financées in the United Kingdom. The only such countries for which figures are readily available are India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and these are given in the table below. They represent the majority of such applications. The figures are for applications to join fiancées settled in the United Kingdom irrespective of the nationality of the fiancées. Since the applications are made by the fiancées the last part of the question does not arise.
Vol 944, c. 86], gave the following information:
All personnel joining the RAF do so on a voluntary basis and undertake to serve for specified periods.
Premature voluntary release is a concession to enable an officer, airman or airwoman to apply for an earlier release date than that to which he or she undertook to serve on joining. In considering the exercise of this concession the RAF takes into account, among other factors, compassionate and personal circumstances together with training costs and manning requirements.
825WIn fairness to all, applications are, when necessary, placed on a waiting list in the order in which they apply. On the latest figures available the list of outstanding applications comprises 295 officers and 1,141 airmen and airwomen. The grounds upon which representations may be made and the length of wait vary considerably as do the replies. The average waiting time for all officers is 21 months and for airmen less than a year. Only two officers have a waiting time as long as eight years.
1976 1977 Branch January-June July-December January-June July-December Seaman … … 42 63 82 54 Engineer … … 32 34 47 44 Supply … … 9 8 13 16 Insructor … … 9 3 8 5 Doctors … … 4 3 8 5 Dentists … … 3 2 4 1 Chaplain … … — — 1 — Medical Services … … — 1 — — Total— RN … … 99 114 163 128 RM … … 12 4 11 11 Total … … 111 118 174 139