§ 33. Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there was any increase in the number of charges at Kentish Town Police Station in 1913, compared with 1912; and will he give the figures for 1911, 1912, and 1913 respectively?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. McKenna)The figures for the three years are 87l, 762, and 1,024.
§ 34 and 36. Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the Home Secretary (1) whether a charge allowance of 5s. per week has been granted to the sub-divisional inspector in charge at Marylebone Lane Police Station; what is the reason for the granting of this allowance; and will he state the number of charges at this station during the years 1911, 1912, and 1913; and (2) whether a number of sub-divisional inspectors of the Metropolitan Police have been granted a special allowance of 5s. per week; whether this allowance is officially termed a charge allowance; whether this has his approval and consent; can he state how long this allowance has been instituted; and whether this allowance has any bearing on the continuous increase in the number of charges for trivial offences in connection with drunkenness, etc.?
§ Mr. McKENNABoth these questions seem to be based on a misapprehension. The so-called charge allowance has nothing whatever to do with the charges 1679 brought against offenders. It is an allowance given to officers having the responsible charge of certain police stations where that responsible charge is specially onerous and exacting. This applies to Marylebone Lane, the chief station of the D Division, where the duties of the officer in charge are peculiarly exacting. The first of these allowances was given in 1906 with the approval of my predecessor, Lord Gladstone, and others, including Marylebone Lane, have since been added. The figures of charges against offenders at the last-named station for the last three years are, 643, 743, and 916. There has not been a continuous increase in the number of charges of drunkennesss and disorderly conduct in the Metropolitan Police district. There was a noticeable decrease from 1906 to 1909, and since 1909 there has been a similar rise.
§ 35. Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the Home Secretary the reason for the transfer of Constable Thomas from the C Division of the Metropolitan Police; can he give the number of persons arrested and charged by this constable during the six years 1908 to 1913; can he state how many of the persons charged were prostitutes soliciting or loitering; and can he give the total number of charges at this station during these years and the total number of police?
§ Mr. McKENNAConstable Thomas's conduct was the subject of an inquiry, and, though no serious charge was proved, he was found to have committed certain irregularities which made his transfer to another division desirable in the public interest. No record is kept of the number of charges preferred by any individual officer; and the number of charges made at this station is not immediately available. The number could be, ascertained, but it would involve a good deal of time and labour which I am unwilling to impose on the police unless for some special reason.
37. EARL Of RONALDSHAYasked the Home Secretary if the constables of the S Division of the Metropolitan Police force who are serving north of Golders Green are obliged to serve from nine to twelve hours a day, while those who are serving south of Golders Green are on duty for only eight hours a day; and, if so, will he explain the reason for this differentiation in the duties of men of the same division serving in different localities?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe constables referred to serve the same hours as all others in the Metropolitan Police district—eight hours a day.