§ 4. Mr. Russellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the Road Traffic Bill, now before Parliament, will create many new legal obligations and regulations; and what proposals he has for increasing the size of police forces in order to be able to enforce them.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeAlthough the Bill, if it becomes law, will create a small number of offences and thus add to the enforcement duties of the police, many of its provisions are designed to ease the task of the police in controlling road traffic. I have no reason to think that, on balance, an additional burden will be thrown on the police necessitating an increase in establishments.
§ Mr. RussellWould not my right hon. and gallant Friend agree that there is already a shortage of police and there are not enough of them to deal with the number of motorists who park cars all day in the streets of London? Is it not another argument for looking again at the suggestion to form a special corps of traffic police to deal with traffic offences only?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI know only too well of the shortage of police. At the same time, I cannot hold out any hope that it will be possible to do what my hon. Friend suggests, because there is very often a close contact between controlling traffic and crime.