HC Deb 28 April 1980 vol 983 cc361-3W
Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will introduce legislation to seek powers to provide contingency arrangements for a nuclear attack whereby local authorities would be empowered to establish compulsory billeting of women and children from target areas;

(2) if he will reconsider the stay-put policy in the event of a nuclear attack.

Mr. Whitelaw

As part of my review of home defence arrangements I am considering whether the current policy needs to be further examined.

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in his contingency planning for a nuclear attack, he will make arrangements that counties and metropolitan counties would be autonomous for a period of seven days, in the light of the difficulty of communications.

Mr. Whitelaw

The existing arrangements provide for this.

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the civil defence budget from its present figure of about £22 million by a substantial amount.

Mr. Whitelaw

I shall be making an announcement in the near future.

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to take power to give instructions to local authorities enabling them to identify structures that may be used as shelters by the civil population in time of war, such as basements of shops and underground car parks.

Mr. Whitelaw

I have no plans at present to go beyond the guidance given in paragraph 10 of Home Office circular No. ES1/76.

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any Government guidance is available to those who wish to purchase shelters for themselves and their families to use in time of war.

Mr. Whitelaw

The booklet " Nuclear Weapons" is of some assistance, and the pamphlet " Protect and Survive " will be on sale shortly. We expect to be able to issue advice in the autumn on a range of family shelters designed to provide protection at relatively low cost.

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if special instructions have been given to chief constables on the role of the police in time of war.

Mr. Whitelaw

Yes.

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will introduce a system of regular annual inspections by his Department of plans provided by county councils to be implemented in time of war for the defence of the civil population;

(2) if he will place the responsibility for housing and maintaining (a) emergency cooking equipment and (b) radiac instruments, with the county councils in place of the present central arrangements.

Mr. Whitelaw

I have no plans to do so.

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the unsatisfactory fact that Home Office circulars to local authorities on civil defence are being regarded as for information only and not mandatory, if he will seek to take powers to compel local authorities to take action in accordance with such circulars.

Mr. Whitelaw

Regulation 6 of the Civil Defence (Planning) Regulations 1974 provides this power.

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that no advice is given at the Home Defence College on combating chemical warfare, whether advice has been prepared for local authorities on how to combat such weapons.

Mr. Whitelaw

No.