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9th November. CIVIL DEFENCE COMMITTEE : llth October, 1951. 1951 Present : Councillors Collins (in the Chair), Adkins, Brown, Jordan, Sampson and Woodruff.

PART I.—RECOMMENDATIONS. • RECOMMENDATION I.—Air Raid Shelter for the Public. The Civil Defence (Shelter) (Planning) Regulations, 1951, impose (a) upon county councils the duty of making plans for the provision of public civil defence shelters, and (b) upon county district councils the duty of providing residential and communal shelters. Home Office civil defence circular 41/51 (6.9.51) suggests that, in order to co-ordinate local public shelter programmes, and to avoid duplication near the boundaries of county districts, county councils should invite county district councils to make proposals for the provision of public shelters at the same time as the latter are preparing plans for the provision of residential and communal shelters. The has, therefore, asked the District Council to prepare and submit proposals for the provision of public air raid shelters in the District, on the understanding that any cost incurred will be borne by the County Council. Your Committee recommends that the District Council should agree to prepare plans for the provision of all the shelter accommodation covered by the above-mentioned Regulations, on the understanding that the County Council will reimburse to the District Council that part of the cost involved which is attributable to public air raid shelters. Resolved to RECOMMEND : That a resolution in the following terms be passed by the Council : That the District Council hereby agrees (a) to assist the Middle­ sex County Council, on an agency basis, in the planning of an air raid shelter programme for the District ; and (b) following the local survey now being made in respect of existing air raid shelters and additional needs, to prepare for submission to the County Council, proposals for the provision of public air raid shelters in the District, on the understanding that the County Council will reimburse to the District Council the expenditure involved in respect thereof ; that the Treasurer, in conjunction with the Surveyor, be hereby instructed to prepare and submit to the Middlesex County Council the necessary supplementary estimate of expenditure.

PART II.—MINUTES. 103. Minutes : RESOLVED : That the minutes of the last meeting (6.9.51) of the Committee be taken as read and signed as a true record.

104. Report of Civil Defence Officer : RESOLVED : That the Com­ mittee receives the report of the Civil Defence Officer (11.10.51). 729

105. Emergency Feeding : Arising out of resolution 199 (2.4.51) of 9th the former Civil Defence Sub-Committee referring to the proposed l survey by local Emergency Feeding Officers of cooking facilities of catering establishments (including municipal, privately owned establishments, and industrial canteens) the Clerk submitted Ministry of Food Circular E.F.A./2 (31.8.51) forwarding copies of the Civil Defence (Designation of the Minister of Food) Order, 1950, and the Civil Defence (Emergency Feeding) Regulations, 1951. The latter regulations impose upon county and county borough councils the duty of making plans, and providing premises and equipment for feeding persons made homeless by enemy action. RESOLVED : That the circular and regulations be received. 106. Sites for Emergency Water Tanks : Arising out of resolution 77 (6.9.51) referring to a proposal by the County Fire and Ambulance Service to earmark for emergency water purposes, a site in South Hill Avenue at present used as allotments, the Clerk submitted a letter (20.9.51) from the County Fire and Ambulance Officer intimating that the arrangements at present being made in regard to the pro­ posed emergency water tank site are tentative at this stage. The letter confirmed that the natural water supply at Harrow Weald Park is included in the emergency water scheme of the Fire Service. RESOLVED : That the letter be received. 107. Proposed Co-option of Civil Defence Committee : The Clerk submitted a letter (13.9.51) from the District Manager, Harrow District, Northmet Sub-Area, Eastern Electricity Board, stating that the Board is at present engaged in organising the protection of the electricity supply in the event of war, and suggesting that District Managers of the Board should be invited to serve as co-opted members of the civil defence committees of local authorities, and that he would be glad to assist locally. RESOLVED : That the letter be received ; and that, as the Council does not propose to appoint co-opted members of the Committee at the present time, the Clerk be instructed to forward the offer to the Middlesex County Council for consideration. 108. Training, Etc., Premises : Elmgrove Road Depot, Harrow : Arising out of resolution 54 (28.6.51), referring to the proposed fencing of the training structures and explosive store at Elmgrove Road Depot, the Clerk submitted a letter (27.9.51) from the Middle­ sex County Council stating that, as the depot is already fenced, the County Council considers that it is unnecessary to provide additional fencing to protect these civil defence structures. RESOLVED : That the letter be received ; and that the Clerk be instructed to invite the Middlesex County Council to con­ sider a modified proposal for the erection of a fence round the explosive store only. 109. Sub-Group Conference : RESOLVED : That the Committee receives the report submitted by the Civil Defence Officer of the sub-group Conference at on 24.9.51 at which the Vice- Chairman (Councillor Mrs. Nott Cock) also attended. 730

.9th November, 110. Recruitment Campaign: The Clerk submitted (a) Middlesex — civil defence circular 44/51 (2.10.51) stating that, owing to the General Election on 25.10.51, it has been decided by the Home Office, London Region, to defer the opening of the autumn recruit­ ment campaign to 29.10.51, and (b) Home Office civil defence circular 46/51 (3.10.51), giving further details of arrangements for centrally organised publicity. The Civil Defence Officer reported upon the progress of the local recruitment campaign and stated that details of the proposed recruiting meetings had been sent to 108 local organisations. RESOLVED : That the circulars and report be received. 111. Civil Defence Uniforms, Respirators, G.S., and Steel Hel­ mets : Arising out of resolution 101 (6.9.51) instructing the Civil Defence Officer to discontinue the issue of uniforms to local volun­ teers (in accordance with the decision contained in Middlesex civil defence circular 27,/51 (10.7.51), the Clerk submitted Home Office civil defence circular 47A/51 (4.10.51), stating that the Secretary of State has now decided to resume the issue of civil defence uni­ forms on a restricted basis, and that it will be left to the discretion of corps authorities to decide which classes of volunteers are eligible to receive them. The circular also states that, in order to conserve stocks, issues of respirators, G.S., and steel helmets are to be restricted to the number required during training courses only. RESOLVED That the circular be received ; that the Civil Defence Officer be instructed to seek the approval of the Middlesex County Council to the District Council's proposal to re-commence as soon as possible the distribution to local volunteers, of the Council's present stocks of civil defence uniforms. 112. Enrolment : The Civil Defence Officer reported that 539 civil defence volunteers (of whom 249 were women) have enrolled to date in the District. RESOLVED : That the report be received. 113. Basic (General) Training : The Civil Defence Officer reported that two basic (general) classes were at present being held in the District each week. RESOLVED : That the report be received. 114. Basic and Full First Aid Training : The Civil Defence Officer submitted a progress report showing that (a) three further basic first aid classes had commenced training on 17.18 and 20.9.51 ; (b) one further full first-aid class had commenced training on 27.9.51 ; (c) that all classes had been regularly visited ; and that the instruc­ tion given was of a satisfactory standard. RESOLVED : That the report be received. 115. Equipment : The Civil Defence Officer reported in regard to section training equipment received, since the last meeting, from the Middlesex County Council. He also reported the receipt from the County Council of the map (scale : 2| in. to one mile) of the area covered by the Middlesex Division of the Civil Defence Corps for use in connection with the war damage control plan. RESOLVED : That the report be received. 731

116. Training of Civil Defence (Rescue) Instructors : The Civil Defence Officer reported (a) that three volunteers of the Rescue Section of the Harrow Sub-Division of the Civil Defence Corps had undertaken a course, arranged by the Middlesex County Council, for the training of civil defence (rescue) instructors ; and (b) that Messrs. R. E. A. Anderson, and A. W. Wadlow, having passed the examination, had been awarded the civil defence temporary (rescue) instructors (green) certificate ; and (c) that Messrs. Anderson and Wadlow had been allocated to Harrow as rescue instructors. RESOLVED : That the report be received.

117. Meeting of Civil Defence Instructors : RESOLVED : That the Committee receives the report of the Civil Defence Officer of a meeting of local instructors held on 8.9.51.

118. Housing Accommodation : Arising out of resolution 2157 (13.9.51) of the Housing Committee, instructing the Housing Officer to endeavour to obtain suitable housing accommodation for the Civil Defence Officer at the estate, Oxhey Lane, or, failing that, in requisitioned property in the District, the Clerk submitted a letter (25.9.51) from the Director of Housing and Valuer, London County Council, stating that the County Council is prepared to co-operate in the matter. The Civil Defence Officer reported with reference to a suggested tripartite exchange being arranged, subject to the approval of the respective Councils, between the Housing Officers of East Ham and Harrow, involving the occupier of a requisitioned property in Harrow, who is desirous of returning to his own property (also requisitioned) in East Ham, and the rehousing of the present occupant of the latter property in the East Ham Council owned premises now occupied by the Civil Defence Officer. RESOLVED : That the letter and report be received ; that the Clerk be instructed to thank the London County Council for its offer to assist ; that the Housing Committee be recommended to instruct the Housing Officer to effect the above-mentioned exchange of housing accommodation.

119. Gas Van : Arising out of resolution 23 (31.5.51) the Clerk sub­ mitted Middlesex civil defence circular 39/51 (17.9.51) stating that the County Council has accepted, on loan, for a period of twelve months, one of the mobile gas vans now being made available by the Home Office for use in areas where the provision of permanent gas chambers is uneconomical or where mobile vans are required to supplement existing gas chambers. RESOLVED : That the circular be received.

120. Training Structures : The Clerk submitted Middlesex civil defence circular 37/51 (31.8.51) stating that county district councils in Middlesex may, without the prior authority of the County Council, grant applications from the Metropolitan Police and other bodies for the use of local civil defence training structures. RESOLVED : That the circular be received. 732

9th November, 121. Further Training of Volunteers : The Clerk submitted Middlesex 1951 civil defence circular 38/51 (7.9.51) stating that prismatic compasses are now ava^able, on loan, to sub-divisional authorities for the sectional training of members of the Middlesex Division of the Civil Defence Corps. RESOLVED : That the circular be received. 122. Film Strips : RESOLVED : That the Committee receives Home Office civil defence circular 40/51 (16.9.51) stating that a new coloured film strip entitled " Typical War Injuries " is now avail­ able for training purposes. 123. Training of Part Time Civil Defence (General) Instructors : RESOLVED : That the Committee receives Home Office civil defence circular 42/51 (17.9.51), forwarding details of a revised scheme for the training of temporary (part-time) civil defence (general) instructors.

124. Recruitment : The Clerk submitted Home Office civil defence circular 44/1951 (25.9.51) stating that, for medical and other reasons, some officers of the Royal Navy and Royal Marine on the retired, or emergency list, are unlikely to be recalled for active service, and that the Admiralty are prepared to grant permission for such officers to join the Civil Defence Corps. The circular states that the liability for such officers for naval service is not ended and that the prior consent of the Admiralty to the enrolment of any such officer in the Civil Defence Corps is required. RESOLVED : That the circular be received. 125. Training Pamphlets : RESOLVED : That the Committee receives Home Office civil defence circular 43/51 (27.9.51), forwarding a copy of Civil Defence Manual of Basic Training, volume I (pamphlet No. 8) entitled " Principles of Damage Control.'' 126. Civil Defence Staff College : The Clerk submitted Middlesex civil defence circular 43/51 (2.10.51), stating that members of county district councils may be nominated to attend short courses at the Civil Defence Staff College, Sunninghill, Berks. RESOLVED : That the circular be received ; that the Clerk be instructed to obtain and submit to the Committee details of the course which members of local authorities may attend. (Signed) O. G. COLLINS, Chairman.