§ 4.5 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, may I intervene to make to the House a statement which has been made in another place about the latest position with regard to the floods? This is the statement which the Home Secretary has made:
"The latest information in my possession is that 242 people have lost their lives in this catastrophe, but it is not yet possible to estimate accurately the number of those missing. The Regional Emergency Committees have been instructed to make the best arrangements possible for establishing information centres locally where inquiries can he made. Individuals who have left their homes and have gone to another area can help by reporting their addresses to the police of their own home area.
"Repair work on the breaches is continuing and my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries has taken steps to secure the co-operation not only of the Service authorities but of civil engineering experts from other areas, and is also enlisting the help of consultants in this special field. Notwithstanding the strenuous efforts that are being made, the damage is so extensive that it will not he possible to complete all the work by the time of the next high tides beginning on February 14, and there are areas of special difficulty where the defences are still under water. I can assure the House that everything possible will be done, but the country must be prepared for the possibility of further flooding in some areas at the next high tides. In order to prevent any further loss of life, and to minimise the risk of disease, residents who have had to leave their homes should satisfy themselves by local inquiries that it is safe for them to return before they do so.
"There have been criticisms in certain quarters that no adequate warning was given to the public in the areas concerned, but I would remind the House that this country has been fortunate in not having suffered any ordeal of this kind in this century, and no Government in that time has thought it necessary to organise a public warning system for this 226 purpose. I have, however, given instructions that the question of devising a warning system should be explored as a matter of urgency, and I hope to be able to make a statement soon. There are, of course, obvious difficulties in deciding what areas should be warned and the time at which the warning should be given."