§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the recent practice of several provincial police forces, and of the postal service, can be extended to the Metropolitan police, and some provision be made for the lighter clothing, during the summer months, of constables on day duty, and especially of those on fixed points or employed in the regulation of traffic in the full sun, and of those who have long beats to cover in the outlying districts?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.I have consulted the Commissioner of Police on this matter, and he entirely concurs with the opinion of Sir Charles Warren, which I stated in answer to a question in this House on September 9, 1886, to the effect that in our climate there is more danger from wet and cold than from excessive heat. If we had in this country the continuous hot weather of tropical climates the adoption of summer clothing for regular wear would, no doubt, be advisable; but under the extremely variable conditions of our 1578 climate I should not be justified in incurring the expense, which would be great, while the accruing benefits to the men of the force would be more than questionable.