§ 44. Mr. Martin Stevensasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will advise local authorities to adopt the equilateral blue triangle on an orange background as the identifying symbol for civil defence.
§ Mr. Giles ShawAdoption of this symbol is one of the requirements of the protocols added in 1977 to the 1949 Geneva convention. Although these have not yet been ratified by Her Majesty's Government the Home Secretary agreed with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs that the Government should nevertheless adopt the symbol. Appropriate guidance will be issued accordingly.