§ Mr. BILLING by Private Noticeasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the resolution passed by mass meeting of City and Metropolitan Police at Trafalgar Square last Sunday afternoon, demanding the resignation of General Sir Nevil Macready, and what action he proposes to take in this matter?
§ Mr. SHORTTI have received a copy of the resolutions referred to. They contain protests against the dismissal of Police-constable Spackman and certain other officers who have recently been dismissed. Police-constable Spackman pleaded guilty to an act of open defiance of the Commissioner's orders, and it was clearly impossible to retain him in the Force. The other cases are those of men who have been guilty of wilfully leaving their beats whereby they escaped their tour of night duty, and the public and their property were left unprotected.
I will give the House an example. A police-constable paraded at 10 p.m. for duty till 6 a.m. Before 1 a.m. he was missed from his beat and could not be found. At 5.10 a.m. an officer purposely posted outside his lodgings heard an alarm clock ring, and at 5.20 a.m. the police-constable emerged in uniform ready to resume his place on his beat with a view to relief at 6 a.m. He had twice previously been convicted of similar offences. He was, of course, dismissed.
A second resolution demands the recognition of the Police and Prison Officers' Union. I stated my position and the position of the Government with regard to this question yesterday, and I hope we shall have a debate upon the whole matter at an early date.
§ Mr. BILLINGCan the right hon. Gentleman say when there is a likelihood of the Debate taking place, and will he also say if it is a fact that the Prime Minister has sent for Sir Nevil Macready to come to Paris, and if he has, gone; and whether the case he has read out is typical of the 762 behaviour of the police, and, if not, why he discredits the police by quoting only one case?
§ Mr. SHORTTSir Nevil Macready has not been sent for by the Prime Minister at all. He has gone to France on an old-standing engagement in connection with the Graves Commission, of which he is a member, and for no other reason. Fortunately, what I have read out is not typical of the Metropolitan Police, but it is an exact example of those members of the force who have been dismissed.
§ Mr. BILLINGHaving regard to the present police crisis, will the right hon. Gentleman say whether Sir Nevil Macready asked his permission before he left the country?
§ Mr. SHORTTThere is no police crisis.