§ 59. Mr. Sutcliffeasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether it is the intention of the Board that in neutral areas air-raid shelters for schoolchildren should be provided by the education authorities, or whether on the warning of an air-raid the children should be sent home; and if shelters are to be provided, in what respect their provision by an education authority differs from the provision of similar shelters by a public authority which obtains a much higher grant.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education (Mr. Kenneth Lindsay)As regards the first part of the question I would invite the attention of my hon. Friend to paragraph 8 of the Board's Circular 1467 which I sent to him last week, in which strong emphasis is laid on the undesirability of sending children home from school after an airraid warning is received. As explained in the Circular, the responsibility for providing suitable protection for the children at the schools rests with the local education authority. With regard to the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal on 25th May and 8th June to the hon. Members for Farnworth (Mr. Tomlinson) and for Cheltenham (Mr. Lipson).
§ Mr. SutcliffeIn view of the great additional responsibility which is incurred by education authorities, should they not receive a much larger grant on similar lines to the grant received by local authorities?
§ Mr. LindsayI think there is a difference in the case of the additional accommodation provided by education authorities, which is on top of the general responsibility of the local authorities. It is a matter which we did discuss at some length previously.