§ Mr. Kirbyasked the Home Secretary whether, as a result of his interview with representatives of local authorities on 19th July, he can inform the House of the intentions of the Government as to the apportionment of cost of air-raid precautions as between the National Exchequer and local authorities?
§ Mr. LloydFollowing is a copy of the agreed communiqué of the proceedings of the meeting with the representatives of Local Authorities. Pending the further consideration mentioned in the communiqué, my right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to make any further statement.
The Home Secretary (Sir Samuel Hoare) and the Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Walter Elliot) conferred to-day with representatives of the Local Authorities' Associations and the L.C.C. in regard to the cost of air-raid precautions services.
The Home Secretary explained that the Government's view was that the cost of these services should be shared between the Government and the Local Authorities but that the Government share of the cost should be the greater. He was authorised to make an offer which, taking into account the commitments which the Government had already accepted and 1985W covering the whole field of air raid precautions expenditure, amounted to a Government contribution of 70 per cent. of the whole.
§ Mr. Herbert Morrison,M.P., who did not enter into the accuracy or otherwise of the estimate of 70 per cent., speaking on behalf of all the Local Authorities, said that their view was that air raid precautions, while not themselves being of a military nature, were intimately and directly related to the whole question of national defence, and that, while Local Authorities were prepared to co-operate with the Government as agents, they considered that the whole of the cost should be borne by the Government.
After a short discussion, it was agreed that the meeting should adjourn for further consideration of the statements made by the Home Secretary and Mr. Morrison. The date of the next meeting has not yet been fixed.
The Local Authorities' Associations represented at the meeting were the Association of Municipal Corporations, the Metropolitan Boroughs Standing Joint Committee, the County Councils' Association, the Urban District Councils' Association, the Rural District Councils' Association, the Convention of Royal Burghs, the Association of County Councils in Scotland, the Association of Councils of Counties of Cities in Scotland, and the L.C.C.
§ Sir F. Aclandasked the Home Secretary whether he is taking steps to make possible in the event of attacks from the air, or in anticipation of them, the evacuation of those parts of London or other large towns where there is serious overcrowding?
§ Mr. LloydThe possibility that it might be necessary to evacuate persons from densely populated areas is under examination along with other measures of air raid precautions.