CAB80-32 — Page 65

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Brighton Group of Towns.

14. The question whether the Brighton Group of towns, with a peacetime population of 500,000 and a present population of 300,000 should be evacuated must depend primarily on military necessities. The Brighton Group should not be included because of a belief that the inhabitants are unstable and would be likely to run at the slightest provocation, The Civil Departments are not satisfied that this a fair description of the great majority of the inhabitants of the town. On the civilian side, the large numbers involved give rise to great difficulties. In the first place, unless a substantial proportion were sent to the Birmingham area, (which would give rise to transport difficulties which might prove insuperable), no more than 30,000 to 40,000 evacuses could be accommodated outside London, and then only if towns such as Reigate, Dorking and Guildford were used, Secondly, there are objections to the removal of large numbers of evacuees to inner london under the conditions precedent to an invasion, It is conceivable, for instance, that the authorities might have to operate the scheme at a time when inner London was the subject of intensive air attack whereas conditions at Brighton were comparatively quiet. Further, the Commissioner of Police, who has been consulted, expresses concern about the problems of public order which may arise from the arrival in inner London of 300,000 refugees, in addition to the 200,000 going to outer London under the existing schemes. The G.0.C. in C. London District, may also have views on this aspect of the matter,

15. The inclusion of the Brighton Group would mean that not less than ten days ought to be allowed for the completion of the scheme.

16.

If it were decided to prepare a scheme for the evacuation of Brighton, there seems no need to plan for the separate evacuation of the Brighton children, It would be undesirable to take children separately into inner London at such a time.

Summary

To sum up, the views of the Civil Departments are as

17. follows:-

(1) that the aim should be to evacuate the thirty-one towns,

(1.e. the existing evacuation towns, excluding the Brighton Group) as one operation beginning at 2-15 days. Even allowing for some dislocation the move should be completed before 2-7, i.e. before the worst dislocation due to bombing is likely.

(2) that the coastal towns within the two railway groups which include the four inland towns (Ipswich and Colchester, and Ashford and Canterbury) should be evacuated at the same time as these towns. Although the aim would be to evacuate all thirty-one towns simultaneously, the plans should enable the two groups containing the inland towns to be evacuated sooner if necessary.

(3) that, nothwithstanding (1), the scheme for the separate evacuation of scheul children from the thirty-one towns should be 1

in being, together with plans for the subseque removal of the rest of the population. (4) that the grave objections to the evacuation of the

Brighton Group of towns should be carefully weighed before any request is formulated for the preparation of a scheme of evacuation.

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