§ 7.23 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF MANSFIELD rose to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware that in Scotland the special constabulary cannot be called upon for duty, save in times of national emergency; and if they will so amend the regulations as to permit special constables to be employed on occasion for the direction of traffic, control of crowds, and local patrolling, thus relieving to some extent the burdens of the overworked regular police forces. The noble Earl said: My Lords, I regret having to detain your Lordships at this late hour, but I must say, in my own defence, that my Question appeared on the Order Paper long before the mass of Government Business with which your Lordships have had to deal to-day. However, I will endeavour to be as brief as possible. The position in regard to the special constabulary in Scotland is as set out in my Question. I wish to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they can see their way to alter the position so that special constables may be used upon special occasions, and not merely in times of national or international crisis, as that, I am sure your Lordships will agree, was really the intention.
§ As your Lordships are aware, the growing toll of deaths and injuries on the roads is causing everyone great concern. If we were able to employ special constables to patrol rural roads and to prevent motorists from parking on corners, and generally indulging in practices that may lead to accidents, I am sure it would be a good thing. In my own county of Perth we have a large 182 area, in which we have nothing like enough police to carry out the necessary patrols in the summer to deal with tourists, who not only commit the various motor-car offences to which I have already alluded, but often light fires and commit other nuisances which it would be well should be checked but which at the present time it is impossible for the local regular police to deal with. Accordingly I hope that the noble Earl may be able to give me a satisfactory answer, and that at same future date we shall be able to make use of the services of the special constabulary. I would add that I am sure the special constables themselves would like this, as it is rather grim for an energetic and enthusiastic man to have merely to attend drills and lectures, and to know that he will be able to put theory into practice only in the lamentable event of hostilities, or the threat of hostilities again being in the air. I beg to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, an amendment of the existing law governing the employment of special constables has been recommended by the Fisher Committee on the Consolidation of Scottish Local Government Law and is at present under consideration with the police and other interests concerned. It is not, however, the intention of Her Majesty's Government that the law should be so amended as to enable chief constables to employ the special constabulary systematically in the normal policing of their areas as a means of relieving the regular police. This is a rather complicated matter. I should welcome an opportunity of meeting the noble Earl and talking this over with him. It would be impossible to alter existing conditions by regulation. It would be impossible to make a really substantial alteration in the consolidating measure we have in mind; it would need fresh legislation. However, if the noble Earl would care to meet me at some time we can then have a talk about this.