asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is now able to bring the release groups for electricians into line with those for other trades.

I am afraid we are still short of electricians, and I cannot forecast when these trades will come into line with the general level of release.

In view of the fact that these men feel they are being very hardly treated compared with others, cannot my right hon. Friend hold out some hope of speeding up the training of electricians to replace these men?

Of course we are doing everything in our power. The truth is, without them aircraft cannot remain operational and cannot go into the air. There is a great deficiency, mainly owing to the fact that we are short of training accommodation. In the early stages after the war we had to put people who were required for demobilisation and other purposes into that accommodation and inasmuch as these trades entail very long training they have fallen behind.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman recognise the need for a great increase in "live wires" in the Government?