4. Colonel Sir CHARLES PATEasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the Annual Police Administration Reports of the various Indian provinces lately published, in which the reductions forced upon the police department and the want of proper detective training schools are shown to have resulted in a great increase of crime; and if he can state what steps are being taken to restore the Indian police forces to their former strength and to give them adequate pay?
§ Mr. RICHARDSThe latest reports received show that the hon. and gallant Member is generalising too widely from one or two facts. There was a general decrease in crime (in spite of a rise of crimes of violence in certain provinces), while the expenditure on police increased in most provinces, and the strength of the force had been on the whole maintained or increased. There have been subsequent reductions in Bengal, for instance, as the result of a retrenchment inquiry, and in the Punjab by the disbanding of additional police employed in 1922 for temporary purposes. And, though it is the case that financial stringency has retarded the introduction of some reforms, considerable increases of pay and allowances have been granted to the police generally in recent years, and it is clear that the Governments concerned are devoting to this branch of administration full attention, and as large funds as their resources permit.
§ Sir C. YATEDoes the hon. Gentleman consider that the police in India are adequately paid?
§ Mr. RICHARDSI should like to have notice of that question.