§ 31. Mr. GILBERTasked the Home Secretary whether any of the member now forming the Departmental Committee appointed to inquire into the conditions of police pay and pensions have any practical acquaintance with police law and practice; and, if not, whether he will now consider the desirability of adding to their numbers two chief constables who have previously served in the ranks of a county or borough police force, respectively, with a view to making the Committee representative of the men whose interests are chiefly concerned?
§ Mr. SHORTTSo far as I know, none has been actually engaged in a police force. The Government decided that this Committee should be constituted entirely of Members of Parliament. It would, in my opinion, be undesirable to include any police officers in the Committee. Chief constables will have an opportunity of putting their views before it by way of evidence.