§ Mr. Prittasked the Home Secretary whether he will instruct or advise local authorities to adopt and apply the principle of air-raid shelter construction submitted to him in December last by the Air-Raid Precautions Co-ordinating Committee and subsequently approved by him?
§ Sir J. AndersonThe principle of construction referred to is one which, while providing blast and splinter protection only at the first stage, can be strengthened at a later stage, if desired, so as to afford a higher degree of protection. As I have informed the Committee, this principle appeared to me to be capable of application in the case of large over-ground shelters. To be of real practical utility, however, it would need to be available in the case of the smaller shelters which form the vast proportion of the shelters778W under construction. I am examining the possibility of applying the principle to such shelters, but in present circumstances the immediate necessity is to concentrate on the programme already in hand.