HC Deb 07 May 1897 vol 49 cc14-5
MR. E. H. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, before proceeding further with the Metropolitan Police Courts Bill, he will lay upon the Table a statement showing the scale of salaries which, in the event of the Bill being passed into law, he proposes to establish for the clerks of the said Courts?

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. JESSE COLLINGS,) Birmingham, Bordesley

The salaries of the Police Court Clerks formed the subject of a special Inquiry three years ago by the Consultative Committee established under the Order in Council of August, 1890, who recommended that the scale for second Clerks should be £100, rising to £350 by increments of £10 for the first six years, and of £15 afterwards, and for chief clerks £400, rising by £15 first and £20 afterwards to £600. The clerks, on the other hand, will not receive the profits arising from the sale of depositions, which will be paid to the Receiver. These recommendations were adopted by the Secretary of State.

MR. PICKERSGILL

I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, following the precedent set by his predecessor in 1874 on the occasion of an engagement then given to Parliament as to contributions to local rates in respect of Government property, he will embody in a Treasury Minute (and lay a copy thereof upon the Table) the engagement given in connection with the Metropolitan Police Courts Bill now before this House, that the Treasury will contribute to the Metropolitan Police Fund an annual sum of £7,000 in consideration of the services rendered by the Police to the Houses of Parliament?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

I quite agree with the hon. Member that there should be some public record of the engagement to which he refers. I think that the best course will be for the Treasury and the Home Office to exchange letters on the subject and that the letters should be laid before Parliament.

MR. PICKERSGILL

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his statement that a debt of £8,000 is due to the Treasury by the Receiver of the Metropolitan Police in respect of the fabric of the Bow Street Police Court, will he say when and under what circumstances was this expenditure incurred; when was the claim to repayment first made; and has the Receiver of Metropolitan Police admitted the claim; and, if so, when, and in what form?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY,) Lancashire, Blackpool

The debt is in respect of the police station at Bow Street, not the Court. The station was built in 1881 by the Office of Works, and the cost, which was met in the first instance out of moneys voted by Parliament, is being repaid to the Treasury by instalments.