HC Deb 20 July 1944 vol 402 cc328-30
14. Mrs. Cazalet Keir

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider issuing instructions to employers of small works regarding arrangements for the protection of their employees on the sounding of an air-raid alert.

Mr. H. Morrison

Advice to managements and workers about the protection afforded by specialised warning signals is contained in a pamphlet "Front Line Again," which is being issued to large and small factories alike in target areas. The original advice as to the suitable type of emergency protection in factories has been kept up to date in the periodical issues of the Industrial Bulletins.

16. Mr. E. Granville

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether instructions have now been given for a uniform system of air-raid warnings where there are a number of factories in the same close area.

18. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet devised any general visual signal to indicate the immediate approach of flying bombs and thereby show people in the streets unable to hear their noise that it is time to seek shelter.

Mr. H. Morrison

This matter is being examined.

Mr. Granville

Can the right hon. Gentleman say when he will be in a position to make a statement on it?

Mr. Morrison

I am not sure. I do not like to promise when I am not quite sure but I might be able to do so in a week's time, or just possibly before then. There are a lot of arguments both ways. If I may say so, I think that the House and the Press would be wise not to try and rush us into a decision, until we have all the details worked out.

Sir T. Moore

On a point of Order. My Question No. 18 is in no respect similar to the Question which the right hon. Gentleman has answered. I have asked that some general visual signal should be given to the people in the streets who cannot hear the sound of approaching bombs—people walking about in the streets.

Mr. Morrison

I have said that that is under consideration.

Sir T. Moore

Would the right hon. Gentleman consider appointing a specific fire-watcher on the highest building in each street or neighbourhood in charge of a flagstaff who would give indication to the people in the neighbourhood of the street?

Mr. Morrison

The hon. and gallant Member will be aware that if there was to be a fire-watcher on every high building, in every street or vicinity, a considerable man-power problem would arise, and the war effort would be affected.

Mr. Shinwell

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is considerable variation in the warning in the London area, as for example the difference, say, between the House air raid warning of "Imminent danger" and that at Waterloo Station? It is quite possible to become confused as a result of these variations. Why should it take another week to deal with a simple matter of that kind?

Mr. Morrison

If my hon. Friend were in office he would find that things are not so simple as he thinks they are when he sits on that bench. I quite agree he has mentioned a relevant factor in the matter. I am favourably disposed towards it, but I have to consider what warning should be given and how it is to be operated, or how far it can be reliable. If this is done I hope that hon. Members will not put down Questions to the Minister of Home Security wanting to know why a warning was inaccurate, because it is not possible to get universal reliability. My hon. Friend's point is a perfectly fair one and is engaging urgent attention.

Mr. Shinwell

I do not want to indulge in any carping criticism, but may I put this to my right hon. Friend? Is it not the case that the Government were aware of the possibility of these events emerging, and surely a matter of this kind might have received prior consideration?

Mr. Morrison

The Government were aware that a new weapon was coming, but exactly what the nature of the new weapon was, what its performance would be, and so on, was not known to the Government. For anyone to argue that the Government could have had every detail ready to deal with a new weapon that had not arrived is unreasonable. I venture to claim, not with modesty but with complete boastfulness, that the readiness of the Civil Defence service to meet this menace has been remarkable.