HC Deb 23 January 1940 vol 356 cc414-5W
Sir R. Cower

asked the Home Secretary whether, taking the 20 largest towns in the country, he will state the amount in each case needed to cover the existing air-raid precautions services?

Sir J. Anderson

On the basis of the present monthly rate of expenditure as shown in recent claims from the local authorities named below, the estimated expenditure for a full year on the pay of whole-time volunteers for the Air-Raid Precautionary Services, including the Auxiliaruy Fire Service, of these authorities is as shown in column 2 of the following table. This expenditure is reimbursed by the Exchequer. As regards expenditure on Air-Raid Precautionary Services, including the Auxiliary Fire Service, which is met partly by the Exchequer and partly by the local authorities, particulars are not yet available of the estimated expenditure of all these authorities for the full financial year, but column 3 of the table shows, on the basis of returns received form these authorities, the expenditure, actual or estimated, in the first half of the year:

County Borough or Large Burgh Council of— Estimated expenditure on pay of whole-time volunteers for a full year. (See note (a) below.) Expenditure on other A.R.P. Services in the first half of the current financial year.
(1) (2) (3)
England and Wales:— £ £
Birmingham 949,000 300,000
Bradford 185,000 27,210
Brighton 138,000 40,030
Bristol 435,000 143,600
Cardiff 130,000 34,710
Croydon 459,000 81,380
Kingston-upon-Hull. 432,000 231,490
Leeds 541,000 236,500
Leicester 275,000 50,340
Liverpool 1,014,000 154,680
Manchester 683,000 180,070
Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 405,000 38,310
Nottingham 376,000 114,330
Plymouth 154,000 42,120
Salford 225,000 52,150
Sheffield 355,000 119,360
Southampton 245,000 29,620
West Ham 427,000 82,320
Scotland:—
Edinburgh 430,000 262,740
Glasgow 1,096,000 506,420

(a) In the year 1939–40, the expenditure on whole-time volunteers will cover only the period from 1st September, 1939, to the end of the current financial year; and, as has been stated in reply to previous Questions, the establishments of whole-time personnel are now under review.

(b) These figures do not include expenditure on materials and equipment supplied free of charge by the Exchequer to local authorities.