HC Deb 06 May 1941 vol 371 cc706-7W
Captain J. Dugdale

asked the Minister of Health the number of children evacuated to Kent and East Sussex, respectively?

Miss Horsbrugh:

Considerable areas in both counties are no longer used for the reception of evacuated children. The numbers of unaccompanied children billeted in the remaining parts of Kent and East Sussex are 6,531 and 5.606 respectively. In addition there are 5,620 children with their mothers billeted under private arrangements in Kent and 4,302 in East Sussex.

Mr. Pearson

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered a communication from the Pontypridd Evacuation Committee, dealing with the strongly expressed desire of many evacuated women whose husbands remain in employment in the evacuated areas, to return home at spaced intervals so as to attend their household affairs, and, in this connection, emphasising the need of travelling vouchers being issued at reduced rates for three journeys per annum in approved cases; and does he propose to do something in this matter?

Mr. E. Brown:

I have already empowered my regional officers to authorise local authorities to advance the fares of evacuated women who wish to return home for exceptionally urgent reasons, the cost being recovered from the applicant in appropriate cases. I do not feel that any further facilities at the cost of public funds would be justified at the present time.

Sir R. Gower

asked the Minister of Health what evidence he has received to show that, in order to avoid any liability for taking evacuees, private residents in numbers are obtaining medical certificates suggesting their inability to do so; and whether such certificates are carefully examined?

Mr. Brown:

It is quite usual for persons who consider that the state of their health makes it impossible for them to receive evacuated persons to produce medical certificates to support their contention. Any such certificates would be carefully considered by the billeting officer or the local authority to whom they were produced, or, on appeal, by the tribunal appointed to hear complaints in respect of billeting notices.