§ 81. Mr. Simmondsasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will make a statement concerning the conditions under which air-raid warnings will not be given although bombs and shells may be falling on a locality?
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Air (Captain Harold Balfour)I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made in this House by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal on 25th October last, which dealt with the matter contained in the hon. Member's Question, and to which I cannot usefully add.
§ Mr. SimmondsIs my hon. and gallant Friend not aware of the very undesirable state of affairs which existed in a South-East coast town on Saturday night, when shrapnel was falling and apparently neither the local authorities nor the population knew that they ought to take cover? Ought not my hon. and gallant Friend to think of some better scheme?
§ Captain BalfourAs my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal explained in this House on 25th October, there are two 361 methods available: One is to have a public warning sounded on all occasions when a hostile aircraft approaches any part of our shores, and the other is to do it only when, in the judgment of the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Fighter Command, air attack will come on this country, and on the occasion referred to the latter alternative was the one adopted. It is realised that under this system air defences will come into operation before there is a warning to the civil population, and it was for that reason that my right hon. Friend said on 25th October that he advised all the civil population to take shelter in the event of anti-aircraft gun-fire being heard.
§ Mr. SimmondsWhile I appreciate what my hon. and gallant Friend says, is it not desirable that the police should realise what is taking place, so that they may give guidance to the population?
§ Captain BalfourThe police were aware of it.