§ 22. Mr. John Patonasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the daily average of the number of workers of all kinds employed on the Hamburg Project and on the building and repair of houses in Hamburg for German civilians, for the period 20th October to 19th November, 1946, giving the averages in each category, separately.
§ Mr. J. HyndThere were on the average some 9,000 Germans and 180 British employed during this period on the Hamburg Project and 1,400 Germans employed on emergency civilian repairs. The figure of 9,000 includes however some 2,500 engaged on rehousing for Germans and some 1,400 employed in providing alternative office accommodation for Germans. Some 5,100 Germans are therefore engaged on the Hamburg Project proper and 5,300 on accommodation for German civilians.
§ Mr. PatonHow is it possible to justify this enormous disproportion? In view of the dire need that exists in Hamburg for effective protection for the German population against the hard German winter, should not this whole project be reviewed?
§ Mr. HyndAs I have pointed out quite often, the project, as it is called, involves at present the building of housing accommodation, which is planned, in collaboration with the German authorities as part of the reconstruction of Hamburg. It is anticipated that as and when the Control Commission headquarters for the zone are concentrated in Hamburg, some of that accommodation will be available, whether or not the motive is the building of houses eventually for the German population.