asked the Secretary of State for Air (1) the conditions of an allowance for civilian domestic help in the private residences of Royal Air Force officers;

(2) the conditions in which a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force can be ordered by her commanding officer to carry out the duties of a domestic servant in the private residence of the commanding officer?

Prior to 1936 an officer was allowed the services of a batman or batmen according to his rank, if he was living in an official residence or official quarters. At many of the Royal Air Force stations built since then, official residences have not been provided for the Commanding Officer and because of this and of the difficulty in many areas of obtaining domestic help, Commanding Officers of Stations or of Groups have been allowed the services of batmen at their private houses if the circumstances were held to justify it. In 1941 in pursuance of the general policy of substituting women for men wherever possible, the employment of W.A.A.F.'s as batwomen was authorised subject to certain provisos of which the main were that definite hours of duty would be laid down and that the working conditions satisfied the responsible W.A.A.F. officer.

The scale of batmen and batwomen to which R.A.F. officers are entitled has recently been under review and a new regulation is shortly to be issued. This new regulation will include a provision that only women who volunteer may be employed as batwomen in married quarters or private residences and the authority of the Air Officer Commanding Will be required in each case. Women who do volunteer may withdraw from such employment at will. When batmen or batwomen are not provided, servant allowance at the rate of 2s. a day per batman or batwoman allowed is issuable to R.A.F. officers in aid of the cost of civilian personal servants.

While thanking my right hon. and gallant Friend for that very reassuring statement, would he answer that portion of the Question which deals with an allowance for civilian domestic help in the case of commanding officers of R.A.F. stations?

There is no specific allowance for civilian help as such, but when batmen or batwomen are not provided a Service allowance at the rate of 2S. a day is available in aid of the cost of civilian servants.

Is the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that the National Service Acts were not passed by this House to enable private individuals to be mobilised to serve in a domestic capacity in the private homes of officers?

Vice-Admiral Taylor:

Is it not a fact that in the cases that have been mentioned, as no official quarters have been provided for the officers, their private home in fact becomes their official quarters?

Yes, Sir, that is so.

Surely we do not expect this Government to abolish the class system?

Is it not a fact that men batmen go out on errands for the officers' wives?

Would the right hon. and gallant Gentleman say whether an officer's wife who is childless and available for domestic work can use the services of a W.A.A.F.?