§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S. W.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether the Divisional Reports for 1886 of the 1590 Superintendents of Metropolitan Police were all sent in during January last; and, if so, what is the cause of the delay in the issue of the Report of the Chief Commissioner; and, whether he can now state when the Report will be issued; and, if not, whether he will, at any rate, give an undertaking that it shall be in the hands of Members before the Vote for the current financial year is taken?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)I am informed by the Chief Commissioner that the Divisional Reports for 1886 of the Superintendents of Metropolitan Police were all sent in about the end of January. It is usual to present the Chief Commissioner's Report about the end of July. This year the Commissioner hopes to be able to have it ready a few weeks earlier. It cannot be prepared earlier than this, as time is necessary to complete the statistics of criminal cases, some of which are even still pending.