§ 33 and 34. Mr. RAIKESasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will urge the local authorities responsible for police affairs to equip police houses with telephones in all situations more than two miles distant from a telephonically-equipped police station;
(2) the total number of police stations in the country not yet equipped with telephones; what proportion the number bears to the total number of police stations; and whether he will urge the local authorities responsible for police affairs to remedy any deficiencies in their respective areas?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir John Gilmour)Telephones are installed in practically every police station in the country, and in about one-half of the houses of constables on rural beats, which are over 5,000 in number. The police authorities of a few counties in which the telephone facilities appeared to be inadequate have already been urged to improve those facilities, and improvements have already been made, and His Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary, in the course of their inspections, are drawing attention to such deficiencies as remain. The cost of installations in remote districts is sometimes found to be a prohibitive obstacle to the installation of the telephone, and I do not think it would be practicable to lay down any hard-and-fast rule based on distance.
§ Mr. THORNEAre the numbers of these police boxes published in the directory?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI am not sure about that; I should have to have notice of the question.