§ 40. Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the growing opposition of persons to being compelled to billet evacuated children, as evidenced in the law courts, he proposes to modify the regulations?
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Elliot)No, Sir. I fear it would not be possible to forego the compulsory powers which enable a billeting authority to make certain of billets for children if the billets required cannot be obtained in the usual way.
§ Mr. DaviesHas the right hon. Gentleman seen the result of the census taken by some of the evacuating local authorities and the very poor results obtained in this connection?
§ Mr. ElliotYes, Sir. That makes it all the more necessary that if the emergency arises we should have these powers.
§ 61. Dr. Summerskillasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the failure of parents to register their children for the second evacuation scheme is due to the failure of the Government to offer billets in camps or hostels as an alternative to private houses; and what steps he proposes to take to get over this difficulty?
§ Mr. ElliotThe answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative. As regards the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to her on 22nd February and to paragraph 70 of Memorandum Ev.8 of which I am sending her a copy.
§ Dr. SummerskillDoes the right hon. Gentleman recollect that he has ordered this week the dispersal of Fulham School, in spite if the combined protests 304 of teachers and parents, because a few of the private householders are tired and want a rest; and does he think that this is calculated to encourage parents to re-register their children?
§ Mr. ElliotThe hon. Lady is well aware that both the London County Council, the education authority and the billeting authority desire that this change should be made, and nothing could be worse for evacuation than that the Minister, in response to private representations, should overturn the careful decision of the education and billeting authorities.
§ Dr. SummerskillWas not this decision due to the failure of private billeting?
§ Mr. ElliotNo, Sir.
§ Dr. SummerskillWill the Minister tell me to what it is due?
§ Mr. ElliotThe hon. Lady has had the opportunity of long interviews on this subject, and I have also had the opportunity of discussing the matter with the education authority and billeting authority concerned. I do not think it would be advisable to go over it again on the Floor of the House.
§ Dr. Summerskill rose—
§ Mr. SpeakerWe cannot pursue this matter now.
§ 68. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Health whether adequate provision of sick bays and of hospital treatment now exists for evacuated children in all existing reception areas; whether he is satisfied with provisional medical arrangements for children likely to be evacuated in the new evacuation scheme; and whether similar plans for the treatment of sick and ill evacuated children as have been adopted by the Essex County Council also exist in other comparable counties?
§ Mr. ElliotI consider that the arrangements which have been, and are being, made should be adequate. As regards the last part of the Question, I am not clear to what special provision in Essex, differing from that in other reception areas, the hon. Member refers.
§ Mr. SorensenHas the right hon. Gentleman had any communication from Essex County Council regarding the necessity for meeting the needs of children who do not actually require to go to hospital but require some special treatment which cannot be given in their billets or homes?
§ Mr. ElliotI have had representations from local authorities on that point and have done my best to meet it in circular Ev. 8. If there is any further point which the hon. Member has in mind I should be glad to hear from him.
§ 69. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Health whether he can report on the response of parents to the new evacuation scheme; the number of children provisionally registered and their approximate proportion to the total number of children now in evacuation areas; whether he has any information respecting the number of children, each month, leaving reception areas to return home, and both the number and percentage of the total original number of evacuated children who have remained in the reception areas; and whether he can give the approximate number and percentage of evacuated mothers who have remained in reception areas?
§ Mr. ElliotThe registration to which the hon. Member refers in the first part of the Question continued up to the 31st March and I have not as yet received returns from the local authorities. The number of parents who have registered as desiring their children to be evacuated if aerial warfare should develop is, however, small. Returns of the numbers of school children in respect of whom billeting allowances are payable show that the numbers in the reception areas were as follow:
19,500 mothers remained in the reception areas in January, the latest date for which information is available.
December 434,000 January 393,000 February 365,000 March 347,000
§ Mr. SorensenIn view of the fact that only a small percentage of parents have registered under the new scheme does the right hon. Gentleman propose to take any further action regarding evacuation in the future?
§ Mr. ElliotWe are making plans to move children if an emergency arises, and we shall naturally review the position when all the returns are in. I do not think I can say more than that at this time.
§ Sir Herbert WilliamsIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that German aeroplanes come near to reception areas very much more frequently than they come near to evacuation areas, and is it not time that the whole scheme was dropped?
§ Mr. ElliotNo, Sir. I think the hon. Member has missed the point about the value of dispersal. A bomb falling in an area where there are 80,000 people to the square mile is likely to do more damage than a bomb falling in a less densely-populated district.