22. Mr. Creech Jonesasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that both in the Metropolitan area and elsewhere requests that police constables should assist children to cross busy roads near schools have been refused owing to lack 1899 of man-power; and will he take steps to augment police forces so that police protection can be provided where necessary at school crossings at the time of assembly and departure where requests for such are made by educational authorities?
§ Sir J. SimonSpecial police protection is given to children outside more than 1,300 schools in the Metropolitan Police District, and similar arrangements are made by county and borough police authorities so far as the available manpower will permit. Whether additional men should be specially provided for the purpose is a matter for the police authorities concerned, in consultation with chief officers of police: it may be that in particular cases they do not feel that they are justified in withdrawing a man from his primary duties or in incurring the substantial expense of increasing the force, having regard to the other measures which might be taken and which were recommended for the purpose by the Inter-Departmental Committee on Road Safety among school children.