§ MR. JAMES ROWLANDS (Finsbury, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there has been a large increase in the Metropolitan Police Force; and, if so, what is the number of men of all ranks that has been added; and whether the cost of these can be defrayed within the limits of the present ninepenny Police Rate?
§ MR. MATTHEWSIn the month of December I received urgent representations from the Commissioner of Police as to the insufficiency of the Force for the duties demanded of them, and, after careful inquiry, satisfied myself that an augmentation of 1,000 men was necessary. Accordingly I authorised the proper step to be taken for the purpose; but the augmentation cannot proceed at a faster rate than about 100 men per month. When the Metropolitan Police accounts for the year are settled I shall be able to state definitely how far the cost of this augmentation can be defrayed within the limits of the present ninepenny rate, and the attention of Parliament will be called to the subject.