HC Deb 20 November 1940 vol 365 cc1976-7
40. Mr. Lindsay

asked the Minister of Health why the full report of the Horder Committee has not been published; why there has been a delay of two months between the submission of the report and the publication of the Committee's recommendations; and what is the executive machinery for putting the recommendations into practice?

Miss Horsbrugh

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Home Security and my right hon. Friend decided that it was undesirable that the enemy should be given all the information contained in the full report. In addition to their initial report, the Committee have made a series of recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Home Security and myself in subsequent communications, the last of which only reached us at the end of last week. The executive machinery for giving effect to the recommendations is the local authority responsible for shelter provision, under the general direction of the Ministry of Home Security and Ministry of Health. It would have been inconvenient to publish these in a series of documents, and we therefore waited until it would be possible to publish a comprehensive list of recommendations.

Mr. Lindsay

I wish the Minister was present, because I should like to put a question to him point blank, but perhaps the hon. Lady may be able to deal with it. Is it true to say, as reported in the morning papers in Press reports from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Home Security, that no formal written report was submitted by Lord Horder on 18th September, but that it was a verbal report?

Miss Horsbrugh

There have been verbal reports and written reports. My right hon. Friend was anxious to hear from Lord Horder's Committee as quickly as possible, and therefore it was arranged that verbal reports should be made. There were a written report and further verbal reports in order that we should have as full report as possible in instalments and have the information quickly.

Mr. Lindsay

May I ask the hon. Lady to give a clear answer to the question? It is stated this morning, and it is most unfair to Lord Horder, that no formal written report was made.

Miss Horsbrugh

I have just given an answer to the hon. Member's question. There certainly was a written report, but not the whole report is written; in addition to the written report There were verbal reports. The difficulty in regard to the publication of the recommendations is that one of the written reports does not include all the points brought before my right hon. Friend by Lord Horder, but the recommendations sum up both verbal and written reports.

Mr. Buchanan

In view of the very great public interest in this report, will the Minister consider either making it available in some form or another to Nfembers of Parliament, or, if it is not to be published, asking Lord Horder to make himself available to Members?

Mr. Granville

When the report has peen finalised, can we have a copy of it in the Library?

Miss Horsbrugh

I think my right hon. Friend and the Minister for Home Security would certainly consider the suggestions which have been made.

Mr. Lindsay

In view of the delay which has been caused, and, to my knowledge, the neglect owing to the public not being able to take advantage of the report, I give notice that I shall raise this matter in the next Session.

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