asked the President of the Board of Education what steps education committees and head teachers have been encouraged to take in order to secure the number of apprentices needed by the Royal Air Force?

I have been asked to reply. The Air Council have granted to local education authorities the privilege of nominating candidates for the limited competitions which are held twice a year at a large number of centres for the purpose of selecting aircraft apprentices for the Royal Air Force and those concerned are circularised in the normal course in advance of each examination and furnished with all necessary particulars.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in some cases a considerable amount of pressure has been put upon boys to join the Air Force, and is he aware that the modern boy, owing to the excellence of his education, does not see any romance in bombing from the air?

The answer to both questions is in the negative.