§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the considerations upon which he is spending £400,000 on a scheme for a nuclear war 231W director in each of Great Britain's 16 regional health districts; what work they will do; and if he will consider whether the sum could be expended more effectively elsewhere in the Vote for which he is responsible.
§ Sir George YoungThe decision to allocate £400,000 for the appointment of staff within the 14 regional health authorities in England was based on the Government's decision to increase spending on home defence, announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department in his statement to the House on 7 August.—[Vol. 990, c. 790–95.]
The task of those appointed will be to assist in the implementation of the Department's advice of 1977 on the preparation and organisation of the NHS for war. However unlikely the possibility of nuclear war may be, it would be irresponsible not to have plans for the health service to cope with the aftermath of a nuclear strike.