§ Mrs. Tateasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the proposed moves of the Ministry of National Insurance to Newcastle-on-Tyne and of the Post Office Savings Bank to Nottingham, have been undertaken as a matter of expediency or whether they are part of a planned policy of decentralisation.
§ Sir J. AndersonThese moves have been proposed at the present time because of the acute shortage of accommodation in London and the impracticability of maintaining all the evacuated Departments in the accommodation which they at present occupy. They did not originate as part of a planned policy of decentralisation. On the other hand, they would not be incompatible with such a decision if taken at a later date.