§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been directed to the considerable difference in the rates, of pay of every grade in the Metropolitan Police compared to those given by the Corporation of London to the City Police; and if, bearing in mind that the duties of the Metropolitan Police are both morearduous, more irregular, and more hazardous, owing to the excess of population, of crime, and of street demonstrations, he will give consideration to the matter with especial reference to the difficulty experienced by the police attached to the inner or town divisions in finding respectable lodgings for their wives and children, at moderate' rentals, sufficiently near their respective police stations; and further, if, having regard to the frequency of Sunday leave and Sunday rest being interfered with by vast processions, requiring extra duty on the part of hundreds of men, he will consider whether the nine hours' continuous duty qualifying for refreshment allowance 1724 might not be advantageously reduced in such cases?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.Yes, Sir; the present law as to receiving Police Pensions is as stated. I understand that personal attendance is not required in the case of naval or military pensioners, but declarations have to be submitted by them under Section 6 of the Appropriation Act of 1889. It is my object and desire to save police pensioners from any needless inconvenience and expense, and I am advised that Sub-section 8 of Clause 7 of the Police Bill now before Parliament will, if passed into law, be effective in this direction.
§ MR. HOWARD VINCENTI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Metropolitan Police pensioners are, under the present law, unable to draw their pensions save upon personal attendance at Scotland Yard, or upon, submitting a declaration taken before a Magistrate, and that no such condition attaches to the payment of Naval and Military pensions; and in such cases, if he will make such addition to the Police Bill, as, while fully protecting the public, may enable a police pensioner to draw his deferred pay with as little inconvenience or expense to him self as is practicable?
§ MR. MATTHEWSYes, Sir; undoubtedly the City scale is, and probably will always be kept, higher than the Metropolitan; but there are certain compensating advantages which are enjoyed by the Metropolitan Police, and it is obvious that a scale of pay can be applied more easily to a comparatively small Force in a wealthy area than to a very large Force supported to a great extent by a poorer class of ratepayers. Moreover, it should be clearly understood that any general increase of the present pay of the Metropolitan Police cannot be effected without legislation authorising an increased rate. With regard to the suggestions in the second paragraph of the question, these are matters all of which are now engaging the careful attention of the Commissioner and of myself, with every desire to adjust the existing regulations to the alterations which have arisen of late in the conditions of police service.