The debate on Civil Defence is still in progress and
the measure of the difficulties in debating this subject can be gauged from the fact that no fewer than four Ministers are taking part. The Government do not seem yet to understand the confusion which exists among Local Authorities. Nobody wishes to destroy or take over local government, they wish to clarify and simplify and speed-up the whole machinery. So far no indication has been given that any practical steps are being taken to this end. Mr. Kenneth Lindsay and Major Haden Guest asked for a Ministry of Civil Defence. Major Guest spoke with eloquence and knowledge. Lady Astor, with special experience of one area, and Mr. Simmonds quoted an interesting statement made by the Birmingham City Council. The root question is the chain of command from Whitehall down to the Local Authority. Mr. Herbert Morrison said that a single Ministry would be hopelessly overloaded, with all the many Departments concerned in Civil Defence. His des- cription of the role played by Regional Commissioners was contested. It is true that their powers are flexible, but is that enough ? He did not answer; the main question about Emer- gency Social Services, because quite obviously that is a matter for the Ministry of Health. Is it satisfactory that no one Minister can see Civil Defence as a whole ? Mr. Morrison thinks that the subject is too big for any one man. He may be right : he made a cogent case. What he has not yet answered is another question. Who is to be in command, nationally, regionally, and locally of Civil Defence, conceived as it must be as a military or semi-military operation ? The country will expect an answer, even if a single Ministry is not the right solution. -
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