asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will standardise all the connections for the fire protection system throughout the country to enable all fire-fighting apparatus to be interchangeable.

I presume that the hon. Mem- ber is referring to hydrants and their outlets. During the war the great variety of hydrants proved a serious handicap and is a complication at all times. Their standardisation is certainly desirable, but owing to the quantity of old-time equipment still in use this must be regarded as a long-term objective.

While I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that obviously true statement, would he sec that in any new developments the equipment is all standardised so that we do not continue with this trouble?

:Yes, Sir. I am hoping that we shall be able gradually to replace the old equipment with new which will conform to the standardised requirements.