HC Deb 18 November 1942 vol 385 c336
31. Mrs. Tate

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any of the Admiralty offices in Bath have yet started any form of artificial heating; and, if so, when?

The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. A. V. Alexander)

Yes, Sir. Heating has been allowed where necessary in all these buildings since 26th October, when the Minister of Fuel and Power raised the ban on central heating in offices. Before that date, with the consent of the Regional Controller' of the Ministry of Fuel and Power, heating was allowed on occasions in certain wooden huts and other buildings where special conditions justified it.

Mrs. Tate

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that considerable feeling was aroused in the City of Bath when central heating was allowed in Admiralty wooden huts before the prescribed date but not in houses which still have no windows, owing to the blitz?

Mr. Alexander

All I can say is that we need to get the work of the Admiralty done; and in some of the wooden huts—in a drawing office, for example—it was necessary, when the outside temperature was 45 degrees, to have central heating in order to get the work done.