CIVIL DEFENCE (FIRE SERVICES) (WATER) REGULATIONS, 1956 (Hansard, 22 March 1956)

§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (LORD MANCROFT)

My Lords, these Regulations are not quite self-explanatory and it will probably be of help to your Lordships if I say a brief word about the background. Your Lordships will probably remember that during the last war large numbers of emergency water tanks were constructed throughout the country. In addition, borehole pumps were installed on bridges over the River Thames, and an underground system of unfiltered water mains was laid in London. Most of the emergency water tanks were demolished soon after the sites on which they were constructed were derequisitioned, but a few still remain. There are about 600 such tanks in London. During the Berlin crisis in 1948 local authorities were asked to preserve as many as possible of the existing tanks. Her Majesty's Government still think it necessary that they 738 should be kept. It was agreed to contribute from Exchequer funds 75 per cent. of the expenditure incurred by fire authorities on cleaning and maintaining the tanks. These Regulations will, among other things, provide statutory cover for these payments. The amount of money involved is not great. The initial cost of cleaning the tanks amounts to some £15,000 and the subsequent annual cost is running at the rate of about £5,000. So, in effect, the purpose of the Regulations is to give statutory authority for the payment of Civil Defence grant, at a rate of 75 per cent., to fire authorities for carrying out the functions referred to in the Regulations. I beg to move that these Regulations be approved.