§ MR. LAFONE (Southwark, Bermondsey)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If it is true that Mr. Hill, attached to the Bermondsey Division of the Metropolitan Police, M Division, has been reduced from first-class Inspector to the rank of sergeant; and if the sole reason assigned was the delay of a telegram for a few minutes through no fault of Mr. Hill's, although he was in charge at the time; and, if he can see his way to re-instating a deserving officer to the rank he has been deprived of?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)Inspector Hill has been reduced from the rank of first-class Inspector to that of sergeant for several grave derelictions of duty, the particulars of which I had better not mention publicly, but which I will give to my hon. Friend if he wishes. There is no ground, therefore, for re-instating that officer to the rank of which he has been properly deprived.