§ 35. Mr. Simmondsasked the Home Secretary whether he will arrange that the monthly totals of air-raid casualties shall be published simultaneously with those for road casualties in order to develop a balanced perspective in the country?
§ Sir J. AndersonNo, Sir. I have considered my hon. Friend's suggestion, but I doubt whether it would be profitable to invite comparison between sets of figures which are not in any strict or logical sense comparable.
§ 41. Commander King-Hallasked the Home Secretary whether, in order to do honour to those civilians who became casualties through enemy air action in Great Britain, he will direct that when these casualties are published each month they shall appear as names without addresses in the form of a Roll of Honour of the home front?
§ Sir J. AndersonI am fully in sympathy with the object which my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind: but, for reasons which I have explained in a letter which I have now sent to him, I am afraid that his suggestion would not be practicable.
§ Commander King-HallIf the theory is that people in some parts of the country might not recognise the names as being those of relatives of theirs, might not the publication of the ages, or possibly the National Registration numbers, remove that objection?
§ Sir J. AndersonI think that the danger of causing misunderstanding and mental anxiety owing to similarity of names is only too real.