Aeroplane Orders In the House of Commons last week Mr.
Duncan Sandys asked Lord Winterton, Under-Secretary for Air, how it was that, despite the difficulties experienced in fulfilling the air Programme, several firms were short of work and were forced to dismiss employees ? Lord Winterton denied that this was the case and challenged his critic to justify his assertion in detail. Mr. Sandys has now sent a letter enclosing a list of firms who are short of work and dismissing men in consequence. In one point Mr. Sandys' assertion receives confirmation from another quarter. He says that firms are forced to dismiss employees ; the Amalgamated Engineering Union, pressed to accept a " dilution " of labour, asserts that many of its existing members are out of work. The two statements complement each other very neatly ; if true, they argue that there is a considerable lack of co-ordination in the Air Ministry's plans and can only increase public scepticism of its efficiency. For this reason, and in view of the explicit denial made last week, it is to be hoped that Lord Winterton, in the debate this week, will be able to give a detailed refutation of these charges, which to some extent cast discredit not only on the efficiency but on the good faith of the Ministry.
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