asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when all the air raid shelters on The Green at Witney will be removed; and what action will be taken to see that the contractors who remove these replace the grass as before their erection.

While it might be desirable for amenity reasons to remove the shelter on Church Green, the local authority concerned may consider that more pressing demands for labour justify postponement of the work. In any event they have not applied to my Department to incur expenditure for the purpose. Final restoration of the surface would normally be a matter for the authority.

Would the right hon. Gentleman consider, as a matter of policy, urging on local authorities that amenities and beauty spots such as this should be restored as soon as possible?

The desire of my Department to see these structures removed and the amenities restored is well known, but the local authorities have to face a considerable shortage of labour and have to give priority to the work which they regard as more important.