HC Deb 27 July 1944 vol 402 cc875-6
26. Mr. Sorensen

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he is now in a position to state whether arrangements have been made to allow night workers to sleep in Public shelters during the day.

Mr. H. Morrison

I presume my hon. Friend has in mind the deep tube shelters. There are considerable difficulties in arranging for these shelters to be used by night workers in the day time. Owing to the internal domestic arrangements, accommodation for day time use could be provided only at the expense of a reduction in the amount of night time shelter. I am considering whether it would be desirable to make such a reduction, but I cannot reach a final decision until the necessary information is available from all the shelters, the last of which was opened a day or two ago.

Mr. Sorensen

Apart from deep shelters, has the right hon. Gentleman any advice he can give to local authorities in regard to this matter? Is he also aware that there are some people now, who have no homes at all, and have to sleep during the day?

Mr. Morrison

I will do my best about that matter. I assumed that my hon. Friend was talking about the deep shelters, but if we get to the other types, I do not know quite how we are to distinguish. The last thing we ought to encourage is a permanent day-and-night population, with people regularly living deep under the ground. If that spirit gets abroad we are defeated.

Mr. Astor

Are these deep shelters fully occupied at the moment? If there is some space still vacant, could it not be used to allow night workers to sleep there during the day?

Mr. Morrison

The whole of the accommodation has not yet been allocated, though a substantial proportion has, and I am glad that should be so because more people may be bombed out and I do not want to be in the position that I have no margin at all, though sooner or later I may get to that.

Mr. Bowles

My right hon. Friend said that the last of these deep shelters was opened a few days ago; does that mean there are no more?

Mr. Morrison

Presumably, if the last one has been opened there are no more.

Mr. Bowles

My right hon. Friend has misconstrued my question. "The last" may not necessarily mean that they are all opened but that a certain shelter was the last one to be opened. Soon there may be another one opened, and that will then be "the last" one. Are they all open?

Mr. Morrison

There is a series of shelters and there came a time when the last one was opened.

Mr. Bowles

Are there no more?

Mr. Morrison

It follows that they are all open.

Mr. Sorensen

Will my right hon. Friend look into the question of shelters in the outlying districts which could accommodate night workers? What is a man to do whose home is blasted, when he is a night worker and has nowhere to sleep?

Mr. Morrison

There is adequate shelter for the whole of the population of Greater London. Of that I am satisfied. If my hon. Friend has any particular problem relating to a certain locality and will let me have particulars, I will have it examined.

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