§ Mr. REMNANTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet seen the Report of the Select Committee appointed to consider the question of the Police Forces (Weekly Rest Day); and, if so, how and when he proposes to give effect to the recommendations contained in it?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI beg to refer the hon. Member to the answer which was given last Tuesday by the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for South Islington on this subject.
§ Mr. REMNANTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he can give us any idea when we shall have some definite decision on this important matter. Will he be able to give an answer this day week?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe Home Secretary is fully alive to the importance of the question, and it is receiving the immediate attention of himself in conjunction with the Chief Commissioner of Police. I am afraid I cannot say definitely when a decision will be arrived at.
§ Mr. REMNANTMay I say that I shall put down the same question for Wednesday next?
§ Mr. RICHARDSONasked the Home Secretary if he can state what are the actual days of rest per year, including holidays, allowed to the police force in the city of Nottingham?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe Secretary of State has called for the information, and if the hon. Member will put his question down again next Monday he will be happy to give it.
§ Mr. RICHARDSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the respective statements made by a Reading alderman and the chief constable of the borough of Reading before the Select Committee on Police Forces (Weekly Rest Day) to the effect that the one day's rest in seven system has now been in operation in Reading since June, 1903, that it has answered the expectations of the town council, and has the approval of the community at large; and whether he purposes bringing in a Bill this Session applying this principle to the whole of the respective police forces in the country?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe Secretary of State is aware of the statements mentioned in the first part of the question. As regards the second part, the Committee say in paragraph 8 of their Report that they do not recommend at present the enactment of the Bill which has been referred to them, applying as it does to the whole of England and Wales. In view of this paragraph, the Secretary of State does not propose to introduce legislation for the purpose indicated.
§ Mr. REMNANTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, considering that all sections of the House are in favour of the Bill I recently introduced, the Government will give facilities for carrying the Bill through the subsequent stages?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELIn view of the fact that the Select Committee of which the hon. Member was a member reported against his Bill, I do not think the Government would be likely to give facilities.
§ Mr. REMNANTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he has really read the Report of the Committee? I think he would not have given that answer if he had.
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI have just read the paragraph in the Report of the Committee in which they say that they do not at present recommend the enactment of the Bill which was referred to them.