§ MR. HEYWOOD JOHNSTONE. (Sussex, Horsham)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received an application from the Standing Joint Committee of; the Administrative County of West Sussex for his approval of a scheme for establishing a reserve class of superintendents, sergeants, and constables, consisting of men who, having completed their statutory period of service, are entitled, to retire on a pension under the provisions of the Police Act, 1890, but who are willing to continue in the force if, in so doing, they incur no risk of forfeiting the pensions to which they are entitled for any causes other than those specified in Section 8 of the Police Act; if he is aware of the difficulty which at present exists in finding suitable candidates for police forces, and of the desirability of 275 retaining men of good character and of the requisite physical qualifications, who are familiar with the work of police officers, and who are willing to continue their service beyond the statutory period of retirement; and whether, seeing that the desirability of forming a similar class of reserve constables has frequently been brought to his notice, he will state the reason why he has not hitherto seen his way to give his approval to the scheme submitted by the Standing Joint Committee after full consideration of the requirements of the administrative county, and of the best means of meeting them.
§ *SIR M. WHITE RIDLEYI see considerable difficulty in the proposal to create such a reserve class as appears to be contemplated. I am, however, in sympathy with the general object of the proposal, but I think that, in order to carry out any such scheme, some modification of the provisions of the Police Act would be desirable, and this I am not prepared at present to introduce.