§ 5. Mr. Gibsonasked the Minister of Works what further progress has been made in dealing with deep shelters in London; and when this work will be completed.
§ Mr. H. NichollsThe improvements have been completed at four more shelters in the last eight months, namely at Belsize Park, Camden Town, Clapham Common and Clapham North. This leaves only the Studley Road entrance to the Stockwell shelter, where my right hon. Friend is awaiting the completion of the L.C.C. housing development. It 1041 is hoped that this work will be completed by December, 1960.
§ Mr. GibsonIs the Minister aware that nobody is satisfied with the treatment which he has given to these shelters, that they are still ugly eyesores, that there happen to be four of them in my constituency, and that they are an annoyance to everybody who sees them? Is it not time that the promises were kept which were made when the legislation was passed by this House giving the control of the shelters to the Minister of Works—promises that something would be done to remove as many of them as possible and to hide the rest by some form of decoration?
§ Mr. NichollsThat is being attempted. I agree with the hon. Gentleman, but as long as the policy remains that the shelters as a whole shall remain, all we can do is to minimise the look of them. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that all we can do is being done in this matter, and we intend to adhere to the statement made by the counsel when the legislation was going through.