§ MR. O. V. MORGAN (Battersea)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is a fact that, although the population of London has increased since the year 1839 from under 2,000,000 to over 4,000,000 there has not been any increase in the number of the magistrates of the Metropolitan Police Courts, although during that period, in addition to this increase of population, the jurisdiction of the magistrates has been very greatly extended by many Acts of Parliament; and, whether, considering the great increase of population and rateable value in the Hammersmith and Wands-worth Police Court Districts, and inasmuch as this subject has now been under the consideration of Government for more than seven years, and he has twice stated in the House that it is necessary that these Courts should be made whole day Courts, the establishment of such whole day Courts will be carried out without any further delay?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)The establishment of whole day Courts at Hammersmith and Wandsworth has been decided on, but not carried out at present, as the Treasury are anxious that the cost of additional magistrates should be saved by a redistribution of the existing magisterial strength. A Departmental Committee is now inquiring, and will shortly report to me, how far such a redistribution is possible. Pending these inquiries no change in these Courts has been made.