Expose civil defence

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set up, and soon established replied that the military that provision to protect the were no doubt planning on civilian population in the exactly the opposite.

existent., there has been no distinction Apparently the Home between planning for peaceOffice has the grand total time emergencies and for of eight people nationally war. Thus procedures and involved in this area of civil equipment are available for -Heavy destruction of buildings: defence. rabies outbreaks, evacuation There are no doubt in the event of floods, major special emergency plans industrial explosions, etc. known to the Ministry of Stocks of blankets and Defence and the military and stretchers are available, and a select few administrators - church and school halls have miles Point of explosion kilometres explosion WOLVERHAN ERHAMPTONWalsai All buildings destroyed; All building and 90% of serioușly Tipton Smethwick BIRMINGHAM Halesowen Most buildi and 50% of or seriously and 35% of people killed or seriously injured destro sople Ajured igs, desti people k injured THE WEST Midlands Coun ty Council's policy on civil detence is quite clear in the Manifesto for last May's elections — dismantle it, and spend the money on educating the public about nuclear war.

A special sub-committee on Emergenev Planning was event of nuclear war is noncounty councilldl but pot to democratically elected representatives. One officer commented that the military probably assume that military targets would be the first hit, and that civilian areas could be coped with by regular emergency procedures, cynical councillon In the West Midlands, dlands been earmarked recepalon centres.

But we discovered that civil defence is totally inadequate for peacetime emerg: encies, too, The major hazards in the West Midlands area have not even been identified and located. let alone controlled Where major hazards are known, officials are reluctant to publicise the fact for fear. that nearby residents might object, house prices might fall, and industry be driven from the area., These hazards are often quite near city centres or densely populated areas. Even worse, they are often near other major hazards, so that there could well be a knock-on effect.= With motorways and rail criss-crossing the West Midlands, transporting chemicals, nuclear waste, and the like, the potential is there for some highly dangerous explosions:

We also discovered that there is a real possibility of a whole town centre in the West Midlands collapsing into old mineral workings.

The Health and Safety Executive has identified 500 industrial sites in Britain which are major hazards, They will not, however, reveal where these hazards are,. . for fear of creating gloom and despondency.

There could be no better example of the profit motive at work - the total cynicism of capitalism, and its dis regard for human life and limb. It is time for the labour movement to expose and make public the dangers in our midst before some major catastrophe occurs.

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Socialist Organiser Thursday 22nd October, 1981 muth, mou.