§ MR. FIRTH (Dundee)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he can state the number of men which have been added to the Metropolitan Police Force since January, 1887; what is the present total strength of such Force; and, what, if any, is the increase in the number of men employed on detective service since that date, and what is the total number of men now employed on such service?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)Three hundred and. eighty men have been added to the Force since the 1st of January, 1887. The present strength of the Force is 14,191. The Chief Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner are of opinion that it is not advisable that information should be made public as to the number of men employed in the detective service. I must, therefore, ask the hon. Member not to press for this information.
§ MR. FIRTHasked if the request not to press the Question applied to the simple inquiry whether the number of detectives had been increased?
§ MR. MATTHEWSThere has been a slight increase; if the hon. and learned Member wishes I will give him the numbers privately; but it would not be to the public interest that they should be made public.