35 and 36. Mr. POINTERasked (1) how many police were withdrawn from the Houses of Parliament during the Whitsuntide Recess; what duties did they perform during the Adjournment; whether any of the Sessional police were employed at the Houses of Parliament during that period; if so, whether 1s. per day was stopped in these cases, either for the eighteen days or any portion of that time; and (2) why the Sessional staff of police attached to the Houses of Parliament were stopped 1s. per day for eighteen days during the Whitsuntide Adjournment; whether the allowance has ever been stopped before, when the Easter and Whitsuntide Adjournment has been less than twenty-one days, and, if so, when; and upon whose recommendation it was stopped?
§ Mr. McKENNAMy hon. Friend appears to be under a misapprehension. The men belonging to the Sessional staff receive their full ordinary pay at all times; but while the House is actually sitting they receive an additional allowance of 1s. a day, which ceases automatically in ordinary course when the House is not sitting. An exception, however, has been made in the case of a short recess, but such an exception cannot properly be allowed when the recess is a long one. In 1910, for instance, the allowance was not continued during the long recess in May. During the recess the Sessional staff of police are employed on other police duties, and often act as substitutes for officers who may be on leave. Some of the staff who have been taking the place of officers entitled permanently to the special allowance of 1s. a day have themselves been receiving that allowance.
Mr. POINTERCan a definite answer be given to that part of the question which asks whether on any previous occasion when the recess was less than twenty-one 573 days the 1s. per day extra was stopped, and whether the late inspector of police in this House promised on the occasion of the late King's death that it would never be stopped under twenty-one days?
§ Mr. McKENNAI am not aware of that, and I do not think the inspector had any authority to make a promise of the kind. With regard to the other point, I am unable to say whether there is any record of any of the allowances being stopped under twenty-one days or eighteen days. I cannot trace that there was any recess of that precise period, the usual recess being for a much a shorter time, and, as I have already explained, during the short recess it is not stopped, but is always stopped when the recess is of any considerable length.
Mr. POINTERIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that it is always practically fourteen days, and on this occasion it was eighteen days?
§ Mr. McKENNANo, Sir. I believe it is not usually fourteen days, but ten or twelve days. I do not remember a case of eighteen days except on this particular occasion.