F.-SERVICE GRATUITIES TO AIRMEN ON DISCHARGE, ETC.

The rates of discharge gratuity payable to airmen are as follows:

Men discharged to permanent pension; men discharged or transferred to the Reserve after two or three years with the regular Air Force-21.

Other men-11. for each year's service up to 127.

VOTE 1.-PAY, &c., OF THE AIR FORCE-continued.

(a) In regard to rates and scales of pay of civilian staff see footnote (a) on page 9.

VOTE 1.--PAY, &C., OF THE AIR FORCE-continued.

G.-RECRUITING STAFF AND EXPENSES.

1. Pay. Royal Air Force officers and men employed on recruiting duties receive ordinary rates of pay and allowances.

2. Expenses. Publicity expenses incurred in connection with recruiting, and rewards and fees to recruiting agents. The cost of printing recruiting advertisements and literature is borne by Stationery Office Votes.

A reward is paid to the recruiter or person obtaining recruits at the rate of 2s. 6d. for each recruit enlisted in Group 5, and 5s. for each recruit enlisted in Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 and Groups A, B and C of the Medical Service.

The decrease is due to a reduction in the recruiting programme following upon the slowing down of the expansion scheme.

H.-APPROPRIATIONS IN AID.

1. Contribution from Indian Government for Home Effective Services.Pending the adoption of an agreed rate based on the actual cost of recruiting, training and equipping officers and men for the Indian Establishment of the Royal Air Force, a provisional rate of 801. per officer and man serving on the Indian Establishment has been adopted.

2. Repayments by the Middle East Department in respect of Iraq, Palestine and Trans-Jordan.-The amount recovered from the Middle East Department in respect of Vote 1 expenditure on the Royal Air Force in Iraq, Palestine and Trans-Jordan is credited to this subhead. No charge is included in this amount for the cost of recruiting and training the personnel.

3. Repayments by Middle East Department in respect of Aden.See note on page 46.

4. Grant by the Admiralty in respect of the Fleet Air Arm. This item represents that portion of the contribution attributable to Vote 1. (See note on page 146).

5. Receipts from other Governments.-These receipts are mainly from Dominion and foreign governments for the training of pupils at Royal Air Force training establishments.

6. Miscellaneous Receipts.

Purchases of Discharge.-Airmen purchasing their discharge from the Royal Air Force are required to pay sums varying from £17 10s. to 100l., according to circumstances.

Fines and Mulcts of Pay.-Sums recovered from airmen in respect of forfeitures, fines and stoppages for offences under the Air Force Act.

The decrease, which reflects reduced expenditure under subheads A-E in respect of Iraq and Palestine, would have been greater but for increased receipts from the Admiralty in respect of the Fleet Air Arm consequent upon an increase in the strength of that Arm, and the inclusion for the first time of repayment by the Middle East Department for the Royal Air Force at Aden.

(24471)

NOTE ON THE FLEET AIR ARM.

1. The Fleet Air Arm consists of those units of the Royal Air Force which are allocated for embarkation in H.M. Ships.

2. A grant is paid by the Admiralty in respect of the estimated expenditure incurred on the pay, allowances and victualling of the personnel of the Fleet Air Arm (including officers attached to the R.A.F. from the Navy) and the provision of the necessary matériel. The pay of attached officers while under training is borne by Air Votes, without recovery from Navy Votes. On the other hand the pay of certain Naval Ratings borne in lieu of airmen against establishments of Fleet Air Arm units is charged direct to Navy Votes.

3. Naval officers for observation duties are provided from the complements of H.M. Ships, and are not attached to the Royal Air Force, the responsibility of the Air Ministry in regard to them being limited to training in air observation.

4. The expenditure on Fleet Air Arm services is accounted for in Air Votes, and the grant from Navy Votes treated as Appropriations in Aid under Votes 1, 2 and 3.

5. The amount of the payment is estimated each year by the Air Ministry on the basis of the requirements of the Admiralty in regard to the strength of the Fleet Air Arm and the standard of its equipment. The amount of the grant will not be varied in the course of the year, except in the event of fundamental changes either in the strength or the basis of equipment. An increase in the grant would require to be dealt with by means of a supplementary estimate.

6. The matériel of the Fleet Air Arm is regarded for accounting purposes as the property of the Air Ministry.

7. Certain minor charges connected with the Fleet Air Arm, too small for interdepartmental adjustment, are borne by ordinary Navy Votes. The cost of filling bomb cases supplied by the Air Ministry is also borne by Navy Votes, it having been arranged that the filling should be undertaken by the Admiralty. Similarly, the cost of torpedoes used by the Fleet Air Arm is borne on Navy Votes, except as regards equipment necessary for the correct air-functioning of the torpedoes, the provision of which remains the responsibility of the Air Ministry, and is dealt with in accordance with the general procedure referred to in paragraph 4 above.