§ MR. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether on Monday, 9th May, the constables of the "A" Division, who had been on duty all night from 9.45 p.m. on Sunday till 6.15 a.m. on Monday, were compelled to attend parade at Buckingham Palace for two hours on Monday afternoon, when the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London presented an address to Her Majesty the Queen, and that the same men had to go on night duty again at 9.45 p.m. on Monday; whether, on Friday, 13th May, the night duty men of the same Division had to turn out during the day for an hour's drill at Wellington Barracks; that they went on duty again at 9.45 p.m. on Friday to 6.15 a.m. on Saturday; that they had to parade again in another suit of clothes at 12 midday, march to the line of route on the occasion of Her Majesty the Queen's visit to the East End of London, and remain on duty for eight hours, and then had to turn out on ordinary night duty at 9.45 p.m. on Saturday; what are the present 869 Regulations for the Police Force as to extra hours of duty and extra pay for such duty; and, whether, in view of the health of the men and the necessity for night duty being efficiently carried out in the Metropolis, he will recommend any alterations in the Regulations?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. STUART-WORTLEY) (Sheffield, Hallam)(who replied)said: The Secretary of State is informed that the statement as to duty done by the police in question is substantially correct, at least so far as a portion of the night duty men are concerned. The extra duty on the 9th and 14th was on exceptional occasions; and on such occasions extra duty must necessarily be undergone, and, as the Secretary of State believes, always has been undergone by members of the Metropolitan Police Force without any complaint. The drill of Friday, May 13, was fixed entirely to suit the comfort and convenience of the men. There are no Regulations as to extra pay for extra duty. Constables are liable to be called upon for duty at any time; but if a constable gets extra duty one day he is compensated by getting less duty another day. The Secretary of State has no reason to believe that the health of the men is impaired, or that the night duty is inefficiently carried out.