HC Deb 27 July 1944 vol 402 c880
16. Sir R. Young

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the concrete cylindrical containers, depth and diameter approximately four feet, are for fire-fighting purposes; who is responsible for making them useful seeing some of them have been placed in position for a long time; and whether he is aware that wardens and other C.D. personnel are unaware of the use for which they have been provided.

Mr. H. Morrison

The containers to which my hon. Friend refers are presumably the small static water tanks provided for the use of fire guards operating wheelbarrow pumps, which are power driven appliances manned by specially trained teams of fire guards. The local authorities to which these appliances have been allocated are responsible for seeing that the static water tanks are maintained ready for immediate use. If my hon. Friend will let me have particulars of any case where this is not so, I will inquire into it.

Sir R. Young

Is my right hon. Friend aware that within the distance of a short walk I found 12 of these containers with no water in any of them, that nobody seemed to know what they were for, and that I asked the Civil Defence and they did not know who was responsible for them?

Mr. Morrison

I will look into that.