§ 2.47 p.m.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they can now make a statement on barrack and married family accommodation of personnel in the Aden Command and give an assurance that married families have now been removed from sub-standard hirings; whether they can give the rank and position of officers recently sent to investigate accommodation conditions in Aden by the Air Ministry and will state whether their report will be made available to Members of Parliament.]
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, as I explained to your Lordships last week, an extensive building programme of permanent domestic accommodation for both single and married men is already in hand at Aden. The effect of this programme will begin to be felt next summer, and the situation will improve very substantially over the next eighteen months. Meanwhile, it is true that operational requirements have forced upon us some overcrowding and lowering of standards. Immediate steps are being taken therefore to raise the minimum standard of family accommodation. If necessary, some men nearing the end of their tours will be posted home early to 426 make room in acceptable accommodation for families now living below the new standard.
To reduce pressure on married accommodation until new quarters and hirings are available, the possibility is being urgently considered of offering more frequent air passages home to officers and airmen whose families remain in the United Kingdom. As regards single accommodation, prefabricated huts are being sent out to relieve the immediate overcrowding. The first huts should arrive in Aden next month.
The recent inspection of married accommodation, to which the noble Lord refers, was carried out by a Wing Commander, accompanied by a civil servant from the Department of the Air Member for Personnel. Their report was written for internal use within the Air Ministry, and I am afraid it would be contrary to normal practice to make it available to your Lordships. Your Lordships may be aware, however, that my honourable friend the Under-Secretary of State for Air proposes to pay a personal visit of inspection to Aden soon after Christmas. My honourable friend the Under-Secretary of State for War will also visit Aden next month on his way to East Africa.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, first of all, may I thank the noble Earl for his Answer? I am sure he will appreciate the purpose of my Question, which was to give him an opportunity of giving some satisfactory news to your Lordships' House following our debate last week. May I say how pleased I am that the Under-Secretary of State, and eventually the Minister himself, will be going to Aden? I am sure that the country will be very pleased about this. The noble Earl mentioned a new standard. May I ask whether this standard is below or equal to the standard that previously governed family accommodation?
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, it will certainly not be below, and I sincerely hope that it will be above, as and when the accommodation can be provided.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, arising out of the noble Earl's reply, may I ask two questions? First, do the Government accept some responsibility for the conditions in private accommodation, in that that 427 has to be approved for security and medical standards? Secondly, while this acute shortage of accommodation persists, is the policy of unlimited calling forward of wives of serving airmen to remain in force, or will there be some check on the number going out?
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, the question of families going into private rented properties is a difficult one, because heavy pressure is built up by the number of families wanting to go out there. My information is that many wives have preferred to join their husbands, even in very poor accommodation, rather than remain at home. That has been the difficulty. I think your Lordships will in all fairness see that, as there was not enough good accommodation available, the only alternative would have been to send them home; and, as I say, I understand that the wives prefer to stay where they are, in bad accommodation until better accommodation is provided, rather than be parted from their husbands. I have even heard of one or two families in very bad accommodation who have said they would go through it all again rather than be separated.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, that is not an answer to my question. Is the policy still in force that allows unlimited calling forward of wives, or will there be any check on it until the emergency accommodation is obtained?
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, this is the situation. When a man goes to Aden, he may not at first bring his family out with him. He searches for private accommodation, because there is no official accommodation available; and if that is approved by the authorities out there, then he brings his family out. It is for him to call his family forward if he finds accommodation and gets it approved. The standards required for approval are now being raised. The noble Lord might like to know, in regard to the particular hotel which has been mentioned, that as soon as it is empty of Service families it will not be approved again.
§ LORD MERRIVALEMy Lords, arising out of the statement on the question of prefabricated huts, are we to take 428 it that it is the policy of the Government now to provide small-scale alleviation against long-term investment? Then I would ask the noble Earl whether he is aware that there is a lack of co-ordination between the Air Ministry and the R.A.F. Engineering Department responsible with regard to conflicting information received concerning the supply of necessary materials for buildings and so forth. I should also like to ask whether the noble Earl would stress with his right honourable friend the necessity for the Director General of Organisation to look into this matter when he is out there next month.
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, the sending out of huts and the like does not mean any interference with long-term plans. I think we have agreed on all sides that the accommodation situation in Aden is bad, and the sensible thing is to take what interim steps we can until our main buildings are ready. I am sure we all realise that partly because of the difficulty of finding suitable building land, the provision of permanent accommodation is bound to take time. It is, I think, sensible to do what is possible to ameliorate the situation in the short term while we wait for the permanent buildings to be completed.