Former MP for Oswestry
It has now been definitely decided that the Air Ministry shall take over Pembroke Dockyard as an Air Station. The development of this as of any other air base must of course be a gradual process, but I understand that the Air Ministry are proceeding with the preliminary arrangements.
No, Sir. That is a matter for the Air Ministry, and not for my Department. As I have said, and as my hon. and gallant Friend the Parliamentary Secretary said before, it will take some little time to develop the air base. They are beginning now, and any other questions regarding the rapidity of the progress of the work must be addressed to the Secretary of State for Air and not to me.
The statement in the first part of the question is without foundation, and the second part does not therefore arise.
Arrangements are being made to relieve apprentices entered in future of the expense of providing these jerseys by a readjustment of kits to include necessary recreational clothing. I am not satisfied that any case has been made out for a refund of money.
There may have been some irregularity in this, but the saving to the apprentices out of kit upkeep allowance in having these jerseys to wear when playing games instead of their ordinary clothes, will fully make up for any extra expense to which they may be put.
I am afraid I cannot give the hon. Member for Finsbury (Mr. Gillett) any details as to this excess expenditure on contract work. It very often happens that, for some reason or another, work proceeds more rapidly or more slowly than was originally expected. Sometimes the progress of work depends on the weather, and there may be other reasons. The hon. Member asked for an assurance that the...
I do not know about that, but at any rate the Government are not going to pay twice.
I am glad to be able to assure the hon. and gallant Member that the position is not as suggested in the first part of his question. In the case of ratings invalided, pay, allotment and marriage allowance are continued for 28 days from the date of the medical survey and in all normal cases the question of pension or gratuity is settled during this period. It occasionally happens that a rating...
