§ SIR GEORGE JENKINSONasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government (in the offer made by him in his Budget statement to bear half instead of one-fourth of the expense of the police force in counties) to pay really one-half of the total cost of that force; or do they still intend to deduct the items by which the professed allowance of one-fourth of the cost of the police heretofore, has been practically reduced to one-fifth or even less?
§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOURasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether he would cause a Report to be prepared, with a view to its being laid upon the Table of the House, on the pay, cost, grades, and numbers of the Police scattered over the United Kingdom, showing the changes under these heads in the Police Force of the various localities, and in the total Force, since 1856; also the charges borne by the various Departments of the Government, Civil, Naval, and Military, for Police during that period, with the numbers and grades, if practicable, of the Police supplied; also the Contributions paid out of the Consolidated Fund in aid of the expense of the Police in the different localities, and the estimated money liability which will now devolve on the Consolidated Fund for the various Police Bodies throughout the United Kingdom, consequent on the promised increase of the money aids?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, in answer to my hon. 272 Friend, I have to say that the statement I made in the Budget speech indicated, upon a rough calculation, what the cost of the increased subvention would be, taken with reference to the amount now paid by the Treasury, and the general idea was that the amount now paid would be doubled. But the precise detail in which that would be done would have to be settled in conference with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who proposes to introduce a Bill dealing with certain questions affecting the police. My right hon. Friend's time has been so much occupied lately that he has not yet been able to settle the details of the Bill; but I am in hopes he will shortly be able to do so. With reference to the other Question, the most convenient course would be to move an Address in a tabulated form, asking the particulars desired.