Britain’s Safeguards In Wartime

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1938, Page 11

Britain’s Safeguards In Wartime

i (Received 8.30 a.in." RUGBY. July 28, ■ The report of (lie committee which 1 was appointed to consider the evacuation of the civil population from certain areas in the event of war will be published in the near future. In announcing this in the House of Commons, the Home Secretary. Sir Samuel Hoarc. paid a tribute to Sir John Anderson, chairman of the committee. and his colleagues, for the expedition with which they have completed their survey of a difficult problem. Sir Samuel said the report was lengthy and the recommendations raised important questions of policy, some cf which Parliament might wish to discuss. He proposed, however, not to delayaction oh certain work that, could usefully be undertaken at once on lines recommended by the committee, and which did not raise matters of policy. For example, he must increase the stall’ of the Air Raid Precautions Department to enable it to deal adequately with this large problem. As the committee had pointed out. the provisions it had recommended for evacuation in no way detracted from the necessity for the provision of other means of passive defence. The essential industries and services, which were concentrated mainly in vulnerable areas, must be carried on, and that meant essential persons must remain, and plans must be made for their protection.