§ 38. Sir Herbert Williamsasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that a considerable time must elapse before a message, initiated by a fire guard reporting a serious fire, can be conveyed by the various messengers to an N.F.S. station through the prescribed channels to summon a fire engine during an alert at night; and whether he will both simplify the fire guard procedure and assure the House that other methods exist to prevent any delay in the arrival of engines at big fires?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe Fire Guard Plan was devised to secure that calls for assistance are received by the National Fire Service in the quickest and most orderly manner and to eliminate unnecessary and duplicate calls. Exercises have shown that under this system it is possible for the National Fire Service to deal with a large number of incidents more rapidly than hitherto.
§ 41. Mr. Lewisasked the Home Secretary whether he will give an assurance that the approval and presentation of a N.F.S. flag does not indicate that the Government propose to maintain a N.F.S. after the war in view of the definite pledge given to the local authorities that the firefighting forces would not be permanently run by the State but would again become a local authority service after the war?
§ Mr. MorrisonThe approval of a National Fire Service flag has no bearing on the post-war organisation of the Fire Service.
§ Mr. LipsonDoes my right hon. Friend agree that he has given a definite pledge 1126 to the Fire Fighting Service on this matter?
§ Mr. MorrisonWhat I said is in the records of this House.