HC Deb 06 March 1941 vol 369 cc1001-2
26. Mr. Frankel

asked the Minister of Health how many maternity and child-welfare authorities in the London Civil Defence Region have, in view of the fact that there is no general scheme for the evacuation of unaccompanied children under five, arranged to provide residential nurseries in reception areas on their own responsibility; and whether such a course has his approval?

The Minister of Health (Mr. Ernest Brown)

My Department, working in cooperation with the Standing Joint Committee of Metropolitan Borough Councils as welfare authorities, the London County Council as evacuation and social welfare authority and Women's Voluntary Services, has a scheme for the evacuation of unaccompanied children under five where the family circumstances are such that it is impossible for the mother to accompany the child. Evacuation has been offered in4,850 such cases, and the great majority of them have filled vacancies arising in the 190 residential nurseries with 6,000 places in reception areas. Two welfare authorities in the London Civil Defence Region have enlisted my assistance in establishing new residential nurseries for children so selected from their areas. Three welfare authorities have sent parties to new nurseries established under private arrangements.

Mr. Frankel

Will my right hon. Friend reply to the last part of the Question and state whether these arrangements have his approval?

Mr. Brown

I think that my whole answer is proof of that and shows that we are most sympathetic to the objects concerned. This is, of course, one of our most difficult and subtle problems.

Mr. Frankel

Will the right hon. Gentleman say what he is doing to encourage this further?

Mr. Brown

The matter is being dealt with in co-operation with the responsible bodies in the localities.

27. Mr. Frankel

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of children under five years of age remaining in the London Civil Defence Region were revealed by the recent evacuation canvass to be due to the fact that the mother, though willing for the child to be evacuated, was unable to accompany the child to a reception area or to arrange for the child to be evacuated without her?

Mr. Brown

During the recent house-to-house canvass in the county of London and in East and West Ham, 2,103 mothers gave as their reason for not registering that they were unable to leave London and had nowhere to send their children under five.