§ 21. Sir Robert Youngasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of the unsatisfactory arrangements for night fire-watching in London; that in some boroughs an attendance book has to be signed by those on duty while in others no record is kept; that in roads adjacent to each other, and in the same road, fire-watchers are on duty one night in five and others one night in eight; that some persons fail to turn out for their duty and in some sections of a road no fire-watching appears to be done; and whether he will take steps to regularise the record of attendances and equalise, in the same area, the number of fire-watchers in each section and their nights on duty?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonUnedr the Fire Guard (Local Authority Services) Order, 1943, discretion is given to each local authority to decide whether or not attendance books shall be kept in street fire party areas. It is inevitable that rotas must vary from one party area to another according to the number of members of each party, but under the Order no person can be required to perform more than 48 hours of fire guard duty in each 4-weekly period. The local authority has full power to prosecute 1668 any person who fails to perform these duties.
§ Sir R. YoungDoes my right hon. Friend know that the fire watchers on one side of a road do not know who are watching the other side of the road? They themselves have been asked about this question, and they have no information one way or another.
§ Mr. MorrisonIs that on the boundary of two local authority areas?
§ Sir R. YoungNo, it is not.
§ Mr. MorrisonThen if my hon. Friend will let me have particulars, I will look into the matter.
§ Commander Locker-LampsonIs Sir Oswald Mosley fire watching?