§ Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Home Secretary whether he is prepared to consider a modification of his recent orders to grant 100 per cent. to local authorities on all transactions for the erection of air-raid shelters entered into after 1st October and 19th October and make them retrospective, so that those authorities who have been most diligent in their duty will not be penalised; and whether he is aware that Middlesbrough has already provided shelters for more than 75 per cent. of the population, out of a complete programme for 83 per cent., and that unless the present position is changed, this authority will have to bear a very unfair burden as compared with many other cities?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which was given to my hon. Friend the Member for West Lewisham (Mr. Brooke) on 12th November.
Miss Wardasked the Home Secretary the names of the committee associated with Lord Horder in considering shelter health; and whether he will publish the recommendations?
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§ Mr. MorrisonThe names of the members of the committee were announced when the committee was appointed.
They are:
Lord Border, G.C.V.O., M.D., Chairman. Mrs. Creswick Atkinson, R.R.C., Technical Adviser, W.V.S.
Sir Wyndham Deedes, C.M.G., D.S.O., Chief Warden, Bethnal Green.
Dr. A. D. Mackenzie, M.D., Medical Officer, Ministry of Health.
Sir Alexander Rouse, C.I.E., Chief Engineer, Ministry of Home Security.
As regards the latter part of the Question; I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 5th November to the hon. Member for Abertillery (Mr. Daggar), in which it was indicated that the committee have presented both an interim report and a further report, and that their recommendations are to be published.
§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Home Secretary whether he can give an estimate of the number of persons spending the night in London tunnels; and whether the number is increasing?
§ Mr. MorrisonI will send the hon. Member the estimate for which he asks.
§ Mr. Tomlinsonasked the Home Secretary (1) whether he will now revise the grants payable to local education authorities for the provision of school shelters, in the light of the new circumstances now prevailing;
(2) whether shelters erected by local education authorities and available for the general public out of school hours will how rank for 100 per cent. grant, along with other public shelters erected by local authorities?
§ Miss WilkinsonA communication on this matter which has been received from the Association of Education Committees is receiving the attention of my right hon. Friend.
§ Captain Ellistonasked tile Minister of Health whether he is aware that, in districts within the Greater London area, large night shelters are in use which, because they do not come within the scope of the Circular 2190 to the Metropolitan borough councils, lack the medical and nursing services for which it provides; and what steps he is taking to remedy this?
Mr. M. MacDonaldThe arrangements in Circular 2190 will be applicable where, 1999W necessary in the areas to which the hon. Member refers, and instructions have already been issued to this effect.
§ Captain Ellistonasked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that, in complying with the instructions outlined in Circular 2190, and bearing in mind the important public health aspects of the situation, the fullest possible use is being made of trained nurses enrolled in the Civil Nursing Reserve; and what steps he is taking to ensure that these duties are not being allocated to women who are not suitably trained to deal with them?
Mr. MacDonaldCircular 2190 points out that the nurses provided for this purpose should preferably be trained nurses; and the attention of local authorities has been specifically drawn to the possibility of recruitment from the Civil Nursing Reserve.