§ 28. Mr. Loverseedasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the Auxiliary Police Association asked last August for arbitration in regard to the pay of members of this force and are still without a reply; and whether he will agree with this request and so notify the Association.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe application to which the hon. Member refers raised issues of far reaching importance which affect other services besides the Auxiliary Police. These issues are being examined as a whole by the Government and at the moment I can only say that a reply will be sent to the Association as early as possible.
§ Mr. W. J. BrownIs there the slightest difficulty in principle either in this or the other services to which my right hon. Friend refers in agreeing that men should have the right to go to arbitration on a question of pay?
§ Mr. MorrisonYes, Sir, there are a lot of difficulties owing to repercussions, but they are being examined.
§ 29. Mr. Loverseedasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there is any minimum medical grading for members, of the Auxiliary Police Force; and, if so, what it is.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonWhen police auxiliaries were originally recruited in large numbers for emergency war, duties, no minimum standard of physical fitness was laid down and none has since been pre- 846 scribed. At a later stage when men were enrolled in the Police War Reserve under the National Service Acts they were examined by medical boards in the same way as men called up to the Armed Forces, and only those who were classified as Grade I were accepted.