§ 34. Mr. R. C. Morrisonasked the Home Secretary whether he is yet in a position to make a statement about the supply of uniforms of a more substantial type; the institution of pay for rank; and other improvements in the conditions of service of Civil Defence personnel?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI am glad to be able to announce various improvements in the 1566 conditions of service of Civil Defence personnel. It has been decided to enable local authorities to obtain on a grant-aided basis serge uniforms, overcoats, berets and boots for whole time members of the Civil Defence services and for part-time members who undertake to perform, if called upon, not less than 48 hours' duty per month, where the existing bluette uniforms are not thought to be adequate for the duties they undertake. Appropriate new uniforms will be designed for women members of the services who have not already been provided with a suitable type. The date of issue of overcoats, uniforms, etc., will, of course, depend on supply considerations. The uniforms of the Police War Reserve and A.F.S. are not affected by this announcement.
A scheme of pay for certain intermediate ranks in the A.R.P. services will also be introduced at an early date. The arrangements for the provision of meals for part-time volunteers, including members of the local authorities' fire prevention organisation, who undertake relatively long spells of duty away from their homes are also under revision. I propose to suggest to local authorities that where they cannot adopt the preferable course of supplying meals as at present authorised, they should, as an experiment, make payments in lieu of meals to unpaid volunteers who cannot take their meals at home on the basis of 2s. for spells of duty lasting eight hours and 3s. for 12-hour spells. The expenditure incurred would rank for grant-aid. The sick-leave concession to paid personnel has also been reconsidered and, subject to medical certificates, they will in future be entitled to receive the equivalent of their full pay during absence through sickness up to a maximum period of 13 weeks, whether, as at present, the sickness is due to war service injuries or it arises out of other conditions of their service. I also hope to be able to introduce a system whereby in areas selected by the Regional Commissioners on account of heavy and frequent raiding, whole-time Civil Defence personnel will be eligible to receive one free return railway voucher in a year, so that their annual holiday may be spent in more peaceful surroundings. All these improvements will be explained in greater detail to local authorities in the near future.
1567 I should like to mention the valuable help which I have received from my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary the Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Mabane) in the review which has led up to this announcement.
§ Mr. R. C. MorrisonIs my right hon. Friend aware that his reply will give very great satisfaction, not only to the Civil Defence service, but to those who are responsible for organising it?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI am very much obliged to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. LipsonFrom what date will these improvements begin to operate?
§ Mr. MorrisonI have indicated that as to uniform, it is, of course, a matter of supply, and no doubt some time will elapse, but there is no reason why the allowances should not start as soon as it is administratively practicable. Graded pay should come into force from the beginning of next month, subject to examination by the Regional Commissioners of the proposals of local authorities. The increases of pay, if they cannot be made by that time, would be retrospective to the beginning of the pay week following the first pay week in June.