HC Deb 26 June 1941 vol 372 cc1091-2
59. Mr. G. Strauss

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether he will make arrangements whereby London parents, whose children have been evacuated to a considerable distance, such as Cornwall, should be able to obtain, at least once every six months, a cheap railway pass?

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Colonel Llewellin)

Arrangements already exist under which parents whose children are evacuated from London or other evacuating areas can obtain railway tickets once a month at special cheap fares to visit them. Arrangements are now being made that such tickets available for one period of eight days will be issuable to parents taking their summer holiday with their children provided that they have secured accommodation in the reception area. An announcement will shortly be made as to the method of obtaining such tickets.

Mr. Strauss

Is it not a fact that at the moment the cheap tickets are available only for three days and many parents wish to spend their week's holiday with their children, whom, in some cases, they have not seen for a year?

Colonel Llewellin

That is a matter on which I thought I had done rather well. When I went to the Ministry I found that that was what was happening, and we have extended the period from three days to eight days to cover that point.

Mr. Charles Williams

Will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman inform parents of the almost complete absence of accommodation in many of these areas?

Colonel Llewellin

That was why I made the proviso that they should make certain that there was accommodation in the area to which they wished to go.