§ 52. Mr. Beswickasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent changes have been made in Government policy on evacuation of the 1177 civil population in the event of war; and what approaches he has made to Commonwealth countries with a view to securing their co-operation in this matter.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI cannot yet add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mr. Baird) on 19th February. There have been no approaches of the nature referred to in the second part of the Question.
§ Mr. BeswickHow does the Home Secretary reconcile the second part of his Answer at any rate with some remarks which the Prime Minister made in Washington—incidentally, I addressed this Question originally to the Prime Minister—in which he said, referring to the possibility of a nuclear war, that he could not
… ask for the approval of the evacuation of millions, many of them children, to far places of the Commonwealth until I have exhausted every other possibility.Is the idea of evacuating people to the Commonwealth now the policy of the Government? If so, is it not a matter which the House ought to be allowed to discuss before it is announced by the Prime Minister?
§ Mr. ButlerThe Prime Minister made the observations to which the hon. Gentleman referred, but we have since that date made no approaches to Commonwealth countries with a view to securing their co-operation in this matter. That is exactly how the situation stands.