§ 45 and 46. Sir John Graham Kerrasked the Prime Minister (1) how often the Advisory Committee on Camouflage, announced to the House on 2nd August, 1939, has been replaced or reconstituted; and whether he will, if in the public interest, inform the House as to the reason for such replacements and reconstitutions;
(2) whether he is aware that a letter written on 18th March, 1936, to the then Prime Minister, regarding the subject of war camouflage, was passed on by him to the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence and that a camouflage Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence was set up under the Chairmanship of Sir Frank Smith; whether that Sub-Committee is still in existence and actively functional, and if not, why not?
§ Mr. AttleeThe facts as stated in the first part of my hon. Friend's second Question are substantially correct. The Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence submitted its final Report in January, 1939; and in pursuance of its recommendations, the Air-Raid Precautions Department of the Home Office then undertook the responsibility for experimental work on static camouflage, and for the supervision and control of the Camouflage Research Station. In August, 1939, an Advisory Committee on Camouflage was set up, on which the Air Ministry and the Air Raid Precautions Department were represented. This Committee was replaced in May, 1940, by an enlarged Committee including representatives of all the Service Departments, under the Chairmanship of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Home Security. The scope and membership of 1385 the Committee were further extended this year, when it was reconstituted under the Chairmanship of the Director of Camouflage.
§ Sir F. FremantleAre the Royal Air Force instructed to report cases, about which one hears, where they say the one building that they could recognise was the building which was supposed to be camouflaged? It would be invaluable if these reports were available to this Committee.
§ Mr. AttleePerhaps the hon. Member will put that Question down?
§ Captain Alan GrahamWill the Lord Privy Seal go into this question and see why professional scientific knowledge in this matter is being frustrated by ignorant artists?