§ MR. REMNANT (Finsbury, Holborn)I beg to ask the Secretary if State for the Home Department whether, in view of the fact that the Metropolitan Police force is undermanned for the great increase of duties recently thrown upon it, thereby subjecting the force to an undue physical strain, he would be prepared, if so desired by the Metropolitan Borough Councils, to advise Parliament to grant such an increase in the Metropolitan Police rate as would provide an addition to the number of the men sufficient to cope with the situation.
§ MR. GLADSTONEThere has for some years been a rapid growth in the charge for Metropolitan Police pensions, and it is now so heavy that for the past 1253 two years it has not been possible to make the normal increase in the number of Metropolitan Police to keep pace with the growth of population. The question of increasing the police rate is likely, therefore, to arise soon, and any expression of opinion by the Metropolitan Borough Councils would have weight with me in this matter.