§ 27 General Sir George Jeffreysasked the Secretary of State for War (1) what is the establishment of Anti-Aircraft Command; and also what is the strength of that command at the present time;
(2) whether all the weapons and equipment which will be required for the purposes of Anti-Aircraft Command, when that command attains its full establishment, are available at the present time; or what are the principal deficiencies;
(3) what is the establishment of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; and what is its present strength.
§ Mr. ShinwellIt is not the practice to publish information of the kind asked for in these Questions.
§ Sir G. JeffreysIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware—it is partially public property—that there is a very grave shortage, amounting to many thousands of men, in the establishment of Anti-Aircraft Command; is it not a fact that the first shock of war, if it does come, must fall on that command; has not the right hon. Gentleman himself comparatively recently said that the shock, when it comes, will be sharp and sudden; and in that case is it not very necessary that something should be done to bring this command up to establishment in both personnel and equipment?
§ Mr. ShinwellI can assure the hon. and gallant Gentleman that we are looking very closely into this very important matter of Anti-Aircraft Command.
§ Brigadier HeadIs not the Secretary of State aware that this absolute secrecy in this respect is at direct variance with the custom in America; and that such a very tight band of secrecy serves only to alarm people instead of reassuring them, as they think that behind the smoke screen there can be little ready?
§ Mr. ShinwellIt is not customary to adopt in this country all the practices adopted in the United States.