Source 3a: Extracts from a letter from the Department of Environment

Department of the Environment
2 Marsham Street,
London SW 1P 3EB 

21 October 1972 

…. 

There is a first-class reception area which is being manned by voluntary bodies (WRVS, Red Cross, and St Johns) on a shift system. The new arrivals are immediately met and given some refreshment. … 

To try to resettle the Asians, the Department of Employment have set up an efficient office. They have good facilities for interviewing each Asian and are well equipped with telephones- essential to facilitate the amount of work they are doing. So far over 370 jobs have been found, and with the wide range of skills the Asians have, it should not be too difficult to find more jobs. They are also receiving offers of temporary work, for example, potato picking. 

The main problem at the moment seems to be housing. While the jobs are being found for them, accommodation, Mr Griffiths fears, is proving more difficult. Ideally the finding of a job and of accommodation should be synchronised at the camp. There will be more chance of achieving this, once they have the additional staff they require. 

On the whole, the Asians seem quite happy, but they may find themselves, a little overcrowded during the winter. This will need to be watched carefully as a demand for electricity and heating is bound to increase, which will put rather a strain on the fairly old electrical wiring and boilers…”