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Civil Defence

Volume 390: debated on Thursday 3 June 1943

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Prosecutions

24.

asked the Home Secretary the number, up to the last available date, of persons prosecuted for violating the several regulations covering air-raid precautions, Civil Defence, fire-watching and kindred services; and how many have been imprisoned, male and female, respectively?

I regret that the information asked for is not available, and, in view of the pressure upon local authorities and their staffs, I should not feel justified in asking them to prepare statistics of this nature.

Travel Permits To Northern Ireland

26.

asked the Home Secretary whether, owing to the largely increased acreage under tillage, he will grant to teachers from Northern Ireland in Great Britain who can satisfy him that they have arranged with farmers to assist in harvesting operations during the summer holidays permits to enable them to travel to Northern Ireland for that purpose?

No, Sir. Under the change in the Regulations made last year such persons 'were allowed to pay two visits to Ireland in the 12-month period which commenced on 1st October, 1942. My hon. Friend appears to be asking that three visits should now be allowed, but I am not prepared to make this further concession.

Will the arrangements already entered into with Northern Ireland farmers to act as land girls and harvest workers, when their help is so much needed have to be cancelled owing to the slavish adherence to the letter rather than to the spirit of the law bearing on the granting of travel permits?

I am delighted, and the Minister of Agriculture will be delighted, to know that teachers are anxious to work on the land. If the hon. Member knows of any such cases, the Minister of Agriculture will be glad to fix them up in Great Britain.

Emergency Water Supplies (Protective Safeguards)

31.

asked the Home Secretary when he proposes to implement the promise given in November last to place protective safeguards on the emergency water supplies?

The necessary instructions were issued on 26th November last and the provision of protective safeguards is proceeding as rapidly as available resources in labour and materials permit. Progress on the whole has been good, and in most Regions the above ground installations will have been provided with barbed wire protection within the near future. The protection of basement installations by brick walling will take a little longer in certain places where the work to be done is extensive and the labour situation difficult, but special efforts have been made to mobilise labour resources for the purpose in those areas.

Can my right hon. Friend say where protective safeguards have been placed, because it is difficult to find them? With the advent of fine weather the casualties are mounting again.

My recollection is that the barbed wire is to be placed somewhere about the top of the wall.