§ 41. Sir J. Graham Kerrasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can give an estimate of the expenditure upon camouflage up to the present date; whether he is aware that the application of paint for purposes 1100 of war camouflage can be adequately carried out by ordinary workmen if provided with the necessary scientific supervision; and what steps he is taking to secure this, as the artistic representation of one type of object on another, as, for example, of trees upon the walls of a cooling tower or hangar, is of negligible camouflage value?
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir John Anderson)My Department have approved estimates for civil camouflage work amounting to over £440,000. It is the practice for camouflage painting to be done on contract with ordinary painting firms. I am advised that supervision by scientists is not necessary at that stage if—as is the case with camouflage work carried out under the control of my Department—scientific direction has been applied at an earlier stage in the preparation by experts of a detailed scheme, based where necessary on aerial observation, before the painting work is put out to contract.
§ 42. Sir J. Graham Kerrasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that, in view of the subject of camouflage having assumed urgent practical importance, the appointment of a special advisory committee on this subject was announced in the beginning of August; that the committee was summoned to meet for the first time in October; that the chairman and the two members of the committee possessing the requisite scientific and practical qualifications have now resigned or expressed their desire to resign; and whether he will make a statement?
§ Sir J. AndersonAs I informed my hon. Friend on 19th October, it is the fact that the committee held its first meeting in October, but this did not occasion any delay in the progress of urgent work. The committee has had 13 meetings, and has given valuable advice to the Department. The chairman has found it necessary to resign owing to the pressure of other public work. I have been examining the question of camouflage in the light of the experience gained since the war, and I propose some reorganisation of this work. The advisory committee is about to be reconstituted with some modification of its functions. It is true that two of the members expressed a wish to resign 1101 before the reconstitution of the committee was decided upon, but I hope to be able to make arrangements by which the assistance they are in a position to render may still be available to the Department.