asked the Prime Minister what were the special measures he instructed the competent Ministers to take, for putting the Government's civil defence policy in a state of readiness, at the height of the Cuban crisis last October.

None, Sir.

Is it not within the recollection of the Prime Minister that he took special measures to put rockets and V-bombers in a special state of readiness at the time? Does not the Government civil defence policy purport to evacuate 12 million people between the announcement of a state of crisis and the four-minute warning? Has that policy now been quietly dropped as being a complete bluff?

No, Sir.