HC Deb 18 June 1907 vol 176 cc295-9
MR. PICKEESGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)

To ask the Secretary for the Home Department whether he is now prepared to furnish the detailed statement and estimate to which he referred on the 26th November last, showing the effect of granting one day's rest in seven to the Metropolitan Police.

(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) The following memorandum, which has been prepared by the receiver for the metropolitan police district, gives the details of the estimate. The estimate has been very carefully framed, and errs, if at all, on the side of underestimating rather than on that of overestimating the cost.

Metropolitan Police

Approximate Estimate of the additional cost which would be incurred were each man granted one day's leave in seven:—

At present each metropolitan police officer has on an average: twenty-six

— Total. Deduct number of men who do not, now perform Sunday duty. Number to whom the 26 additional days' leave would have to be granted. Augmentation required at the rate of 8.904 per cent.
Uniform:
Inspectors 464 24 440 39
Sergeants 1,876 148 1,728 154
Constables 13,094 165 12,929 1,151
Criminal Investigation. Department:
Inspectors 41 6 35 3
Sergeants 235 10 225 20
Constables 214 5 209 19
15,924 358 15,566 1,386

days per annum in fortnightly leave; eleven days per annum in annual leave; ten days per annum in sick leave. Total, forty-seven days.

The number of working days is consequently 318.

If a weekly instead of a fortnightly holiday were granted each officer will work twenty-six days less, that is, on 292 days only.

At present 1,000 men work 318,000 days a year.

This would be reduced to 292,000 days a year, or 26,000 days less than at present.

To provide for these 26,000 days the number of men required to be added to the force will be 26,000/292=89–04 per 1,000 men, which is equal to an increase of 8.904 per cent.

The number of men now employed at the cost of the Metropolitan Police Fund, that is, excluding all those paid for out of Imperial funds or by public companies and private individuals, is as follows—

The cost of the force for each rank, based on the present actual expenditure, is—
— Exclusive of any charge for pension. Inclusive of charge for prospective pension-.
£ s. d. £ s. d.
Uniform men:
Inspectors 206 15 3 257 5 4
Sergeants 130 16 10 156 18 1
Constables 99 13 11 115 16 8
Criminal Investigation Department:
Inspectors 269 10 9 336 4 2
Sergeants 144 19 3 174 4 7
Constables 101 16 11 118 8 11

These rates include the pay of the officers, rent-aid allowance, gratuities, and reserve pay, the cost of clothing, coal allowance, medical attendance, and supervision by superintendents, and a charge of 7½per cent. to cover all administrative expenses, inclusive of the cost of section-house accommodation.

The charge for the contingent cost of the men's pensions is calculated at—

— Augmentation required. Increased charge excluding superannuation. Increased charge including superannuation.
£ s. d. £ s. d.
Uniform:
Inspectors 39 8,063 14 9 10,033 8 0
Sergeants 154 20,149 12 4 24,163 4 10
Constables 1,151 114,749 18 1 133,324 3 4
Criminal Investigation Department:
Inspectors 3 808 12 3 1,008 12 6
Sergeants 20 2,899 5 0 3,484 11 8
Constables 19 1,935 1 5 2,250 9 5
1,386 148,606 3 10 174,264 9 9

28 per cent. on the annual pay of an inspector; 24 per cent. on the annual pay of a sergeant; 20 per cent. on the annual pay of a constable.

These percentages were fixed by Mr. Finlaison, the late actuary to the National Debt Office, after an exhaustive actuarial investigation.

The cost of the additional men would therefore be—

The total sum which would, therefore, have to be raised by means of an addition to the Metropolitan Police rate would be £174,264 9s. 9d., if proper provision is made for the future pensions of the men augmented, or £148,606 3s. 10d., if no provision is made for these pensions. The proceeds of a Id. rate are estimated at £223,420.

In addition to the men employed at the cost of the police fund there are 51 inspectors, 232 sergeants, and 1,572 constables employed at the cost of the Imperial Exchequer.

These men are employed under varying conditions which necessitate special charges being made for their services, but it is estimated that if the leave be increased by twenty-six days per annum, the additional cost which will have to be provided for by the Treasury will be £21,575 6s. 7d. per annum.

(Signed) A. R. PENNEFATHER. 17th June, 1907.