§ Mr. MACKARNESSasked the Under-Secretary for India whether the attention of the Secretary of State has been called to the Report of the administration of the police in Calcutta for last year issued by the Commissioner, Mr. Halliday; whether it is reported by Mr. Halliday that in the course of the year I sergeant, 4 head constables, and 65 constables were dismissed from the service, of whom 2 head constables and 15 constables were dismissed for taking bribes; that 1 head constable and 7 constables were judicially convicted of crime; that 1 head constable and 22 constables were dismissed for illegal acts; that, in addition, over 500 inspectors, sub-inspectors, sergeants, head constables, and constables were punished departmentally for various offences; and whether, if these facts are so, the Secretary of State will give them careful consideration before sanctioning any measure which will place larger powers in the hands of the police of Calcutta?
The MASTER of ELIBANKThe Secretary of State has seen the Report quoted by the hon. Member. As to the powers proposed to be given to the police by the Bill, I would refer the hon. Member to the explanation of its scope and intentions given in reply to the hon. Member for East Nottingham last Thursday. The number of punishments inflicted appears to show that the responsible officers are exercising proper supervision and enforcing strict discipline over a force drawn from an Oriental population. That being so, the Secretary of State deprecates inquiries, which may have the effect of lowering in the public estimation a body of men which is loyally doing its best in difficult circumstances, and upon which the public must rely for their security.
§ Mr. MACKARNESSIs my hon. Friend aware that in the Anglo-Indian Press the record of the police is described as an appalling record, and is it not proposed to place larger powers in their hands?
The MASTER of ELIBANKWell, the hon. Member will see from the reply to his question that the Government in India have been dealing with this appalling record in so far as it has been able to.
§ Mr. REESMay I ask whether the controlling agency in the Indian police, is, to a large extent, European; whether further control of the character indicated by the punishments referred to in the 998 question can be effected by increasing the employment of Europeans in the police; and what would be the cost of substituting European for native agency upon such a scale as to effect an improvement throughout the Indian Empire?