§ 46. Mr. PIKEasked the First Commissioner of Works whether he has any further statement to make respecting the cost of the police on duty at the House of Commons?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREFrom the official report of my reply to the supplementary question addressed to me by my hon. Friend last Tuesday, I appear to have stated that constables serving in this House were paid £1 3s. Id. for every eight hours they are on duty. The reply intended was that this is the daily rate of charge made by the Receiver of the Metropolitan Police for a constable's services. This charge represents not only the total cost of a constable, including pension, but also the cost of a substitute for the 75 days a year that a constable is, on the average, off duty owing to leave and sick leave.
§ 61. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the amount paid to ordinary constables serving in the House of Commons for an eight-hour duty and the average cost of administration expenses per man shift, giving both figures separately?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Oliver Stanley)Constables are not paid per hour of duty, but weekly. The pay of constables serving in this House ranges from 90s. to 95s. a week subject to a deduction of 5 per cent, for pension and an economy deduction which will now be at the rate of 8s. 6d. a week. They also receive a boot allowance of ls. a week and free quarters or an allowance in lieu. The average cost of administration can be put at ls. per man per day. As my right hon. Friend the First Commissioner of Works is explaining in reply to another question, the figure of £1 3s. ld. which he mentioned a few days ago is not the amount paid to the constable, but the charge made for a constable's services, including inter alia prospective charges for pension.