HC Deb 25 January 1951 vol 483 cc276-7
3. Air Commodore Harvey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what preparation has been made for the mass production of monitoring instruments for Civil Defence against atomic weapons.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Geoffrey de Freitas)

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Southend, East (Mr. McAdden) on 23rd November.

Air Commodore Harvey

But that reply was very unsatisfactory. Will the hon. Gentleman now say whether or not a mass production order has been placed for this equipment? The public are very anxious to know.

Mr. de Freitas

I can say that fairly soon these instruments will be available for training purposes throughout the country, as they are now available for training at the colleges.

4. Air Commodore Harvey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the Civil Defence schools for the teaching of the use of simple monitoring apparatus by Civil Defence personnel against atomic weapons.

Mr. de Freitas

The Civil Defence Technical Training Schools give instruction in three types of radiation meter. They are the individual dosimeter, the portable doserate meter, and the contamination meter. Every student on the general instructors' course is trained in the use of these three types of instrument in the field and in the tactical application

Region Increase during December, 1950 Total Strength at 31st December, 1950 Strength per thousand of population
Eastern … … … 1,236 10,839 3.58
Southern … … … 1,312 8,747 3.31
South Eastern … … … 861 7,896 3.11
South Western … … … 1,129 8,756 2.91
Northern … … … 1,038 6,755 2.16
Midland … … … 852 9,004 2.05
Wales … … … 575 5,298 2.05
North Western … … … 1,689 12,748 2.0
North Midland … … … 717 6,843 2.0
London … … … 930 15,912 1.89
North Eastern … … … 603 6,096 1.49
10,942 98,894 Average for England and Wales 2.26