THE LORD BISHOP OF CHICHESTERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether the order recently given by the Control Commission for Germany to blow up certain air raid shelters in Lubeck, now used for housing and mainly situated in closely built-up areas, has been suspended or cancelled, and what is the position generally with regard to any proposed destruction of air raid shelters or bunkers which are at present used as dwellings or for hospital purposes, in the British Zone or in the British sector of Berlin.]
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (LORD PAKENHAM)My Lords, it has never been our intention to destroy any surface air raid shelters at Lubeck that have been satisfactorily demilitarized by conversion for civilian accommodation. The destruction of all military and civilian air raid shelters is required' by quadripartite decisions on the demilitarization of Germany, but it is permissible to postpone until the end of the occupation the destruction of constructions and installations indispensable to the needs of the civilian population in Germany. When the list of plants to be made available for reparations in the Combined Zones was published, His Majesty's Government announced that the destruction of surface buildings, other than those of a specifically military character, would be suspended in the British Zone pending discussion of the question with our Allies.
1092 The decision just referred to concerns only buildings in plants which are on the Reparations List. In order to make quite clear the position with regard to other buildings, such as air raid shelters which are covered by Control Council Directive No. 22, fresh instructions are about to be issued by the Military Governor. These instructions will make Regional Commissioners responsible for ensuring that no such buildings are destroyed at the present time unless the Commissioners are satisfied that the buildings are not wanted either for the occupational forces or for the German civil population, whether as accommodation or storage.
THE LORD BISHOP OF CHICHESTERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether the dismantlement of general industrial plants listed as surplus to the permitted bizonal limit of industry in the British Zone of Germany has been wholly suspended until after the Conference of Foreign Ministers.]
LORD PAKENHAMMy Lords, the answer to the right reverend Prelate's second question is "No," with the reservations which I have already mentioned in my reply to his first question.
LORD STRABOLGIArising out of the second question, may I ask if representations against the destruction of certain factories are still allowed to be made?
LORD PAKENHAMI can give the noble Lord the details of the manner in which the discussions are being conducted, but I think he will be satisfied with the attention that is being paid to the representations.