HC Deb 19 March 1942 vol 378 cc1646-7
37. Commander Locker-Lampson

asked the Home Secretary whether elderly policemen or women will be substituted for young officers in such cases as motorcar offences and disorderly conduct, where the presence of two or more police-officers is required before action can be taken?

Mr. H. Morrison

It would not be possible to lay down any hard and fast rule such as my hon. and gallant Friend suggests, but he may rest assured that chief officers of police are fully alive to the desirability of using their younger officers to the best possible advantage.

Commander Locker-Lampson

Could not the right hon. Gentleman give these police a rest from the roads and use them for fighting the black-market racketeers?

Mr. Morrison

If the hon. and gallant Gentleman is asking for a relaxation of administration of the law relating to motorists, I think that is an improper suggestion.

Commander Locker-Lampson

Why should motorists who commit breaches of the law be treated as criminals?

38. Commander Locker-Lampson

asked the Home Secretary how many prostitutes have been arrested in the Metropolis in each of the last 10 years, and at what estimated cost to the country; what is the average age of the police employed; whether such arrests will, in future, be made by policewomen; and how many police are employed for such duties?

Mr. Morrison

Since 1936, separate statistics have not been kept of the number of arrests for prostitution in the Metropolitan Police District, and the information asked for could not be obtained without an undue expenditure of labour. It is not possible to estimate the cost involved nor the average age of the police officers who effected the arrests. No police officers are specially employed for this purpose and it would not be practicable to confine this duty to women police since this is one of many types of offence which it may be the duty of any officer to deal with in the course of patrolling his beat.