§ 52. Mr. Dayasked the Lord Privy Seal the number of air-raid shelters that have been issued to private householders residing in the borough of Southwark; whether the same are in condition for immediate use; and what steps are being taken to supply the balance of the householders in this district with air-raid shelters on demand?
§ The Lord Privy Seal (Sir John Anderson)The borough council of Southwark has been supplied with all the standard steel shelters for which it considers there are suitable sites in the borough. Of this quantity, 2,275 have been erected, and the balance of approximately 1,000 will be erected by the end of August. In addition, the names of 345 householders are recorded as eligible to receive shelters giving extended accommodation. These will be delivered towards the end of August. Other dwelling-houses in the borough are being surveyed by the local authority as rapidly as possible in order to see what alternative types of shelter, either surface shelters or strutted basements, can be provided.
§ Mr. DayIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that many of these shelters that have been erected are not in a proper or reasonable position, and are steps being taken to remedy that?
§ Sir J. AndersonNo, Sir. I have answered the question on the Paper, and I have said that 2,275 shelters have been erected, and that the remainder, amounting to about 1,000, will have been erected by the end of August.
§ Mr. DayBut is the right hon. Gentleman aware that those that are erected are not in the proper positions?
§ Sir J. AndersonNo, Sir, I am not.
§ 53. Mr. Duncanasked the Lord Privy Seal what is the estimated number of persons in London entitled to free shelter from air raids in or near their homes?
§ Sir J. AndersonI am not in a position to give any close estimate of the numbers of persons in London who come within the Government's scheme for the free provision of domestic shelter. According to estimates made by the local authorities concerned, there are approximately 936,325 householders in the Metropolitan Police District who fall within the categories to which the steel shelters are being distributed and occupy houses in which this type of shelter can suitably be installed. This number of householders might be taken as representing a total of about 4,000,000 persons; but there would remain, in addition, those for whom shelter can more suitably be provided by other means, such as the standard type of surface shelter or the strutted basement. The precise extent of this part of the problem is being ascertained by means of a survey which is now being carried out as rapidly as possible throughout the Metropolitan boroughs.
§ Mr. DuncanMay I ask when that survey will be finished, and in view of the Recess, will my right hon. Friend publish the results of the survey?
§ Sir J. AndersonThe survey is being proceeded with very rapidly, and I have little doubt that it will be finished in the very near future. I will consider the suggestion made by my hon. Friend in the second part of his supplementary question.
§ Dr. Haden GuestIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the value of these shelters is seriously detracted from by the fact that they let in water and that it is extremely difficult to drain them, and can his Department make any suggestion for dealing with that problem?
§ Sir J. AndersonYes, Sir. Special attention has been given within the last few weeks to the problem of drainage in connection with these steel shelters, and suggestions have been communicated quite recently to local authorities on the subject.
§ Mr. MathersWhat proportion of people who are entitled to receive these shelters are refusing to accept them, and what proportion receiving them are refusing to have them erected?
§ Sir J. AndersonThat arises on another question.
§ 54. Mr. Duncanasked the Lord Privy Seal how many Anderson shelters have been distributed in London; how many remain to be distributed; for how many persons protection will be provided by this means; and in how many cases have persons refused to receive the shelters offered them?
§ Sir J. AndersonThe number of standard unit shelters distributed up to date in the Metropolitan Police District is 394,840. The number remaining to be distributed, according to the estimates furnished by the local authorities, is 541,485. This total number of shelters is capable of affording protection for over 5,500,000 persons. I have no precise information as to the number of eligible householders who have refused shelters offered to them.
§ Mr. DuncanIs my right hon. Friend aware that in Wandsworth a considerable number of people have refused to receive these shelters, and may I ask what he is prepared to do about it?
§ Sir J. AndersonThe demand for shelters greatly exceeds the available supply at this moment, and I am not, therefore, concerning myself unduly with individual cases of persons who refuse them. The number of those who have declined to receive shelters for a variety of reasons, some good and some certainly bad, varies greatly from district to district, and I am instructing my technical officers, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned, to give special attention to this matter in the next few weeks.
§ Mr. MacquistenIs there any way by which one could tempt the people to have these shelters, such as getting the Milk Board to supply them with free milk?
§ 55. Mr. Duncanasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the survey of basement and other accommodation for the purpose of protection from air raids by strutting or similar means has been completed in London; for how many persons protection by these means will be provided; and when the work of strutting will be commenced?
§ Sir J. AndersonThe survey to which the hon. Members refers has been completed in some of the London boroughs, but not in all. I am not, therefore, in a 2616 position to say how many persons in London will be provided with shelter by the strutting of basements or by other similar means. The work of strutting basements has already commenced in one borough.
§ Mr. DuncanMay I ask which borough it is?
§ Sir J. AndersonKensington.