HC Deb 01 March 1886 vol 302 cc1512-3
MR. HOWARD VINCENT

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, for the efficiency of the police and the convenience of the public, he will take immediate steps to provide a proper head quarters for the Metropolitan Police Force, with adequate office and barrack accommodation, and offering sufficient facilities for the training, and, when necessary, the concentration of policemen, in lieu of the present collection of inferior, detached, and inconvenient houses held on leases at costly rentals, which constitute the Metropolitan Police Force, in the thoroughfares of Great Scotland Yard and White hall Place?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. CHILDERS)

In reply to the Question of the hon. Gentleman, I am fully aware of the present inconvenient and unsatisfactory character of the buildings comprising the head-quarters of the police at Scotland Yard, and it is one of the matters that will engage my serious attention in connection with the forthcoming inquiry.

MR. W. H. SMITH

Will the right hon. Gentleman be kind enough to say whether he has now formed his Committee of Inquiry into the organization of the Metropolitan Police; whether it will include other names than those already mentioned to the House; and, whether the Report of the Committee will be laid on the Table of the House?

MR. CHILDERS

I stated that one of the Members of the proposed Committee under my Chairmanship will be the new Chief Commissioner of Police. Of course, until he is appointed, I cannot definitely say who will constitute the Committee. I did not limit the Committee to the names I mentioned to the House the other day. As to the last part of the Question, I imagine there is no doubt that the Report will be laid upon the Table. It is not usual to say so beforehand; but I think I may say it will be presented, though, perhaps, part of the evidence which may relate to the detective police could not be laid upon the Table.

MR. STUART-WORTLEY

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman would take care that, before any decision was taken as to the disposal of the vacant ground adjoining the present police station at King Street, Westminster, the fitness of that site to be devoted, either wholly or in part, to the erection of new central police offices for the Metropolis, should be fully considered?

MR. CHILDERS

There were some interesting Papers on that subject presented many years ago, to which I intend to refer in conducting the inquiry.