HC Deb 28 April 1949 vol 464 cc347-8
13. Commander Noble

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet received the Oaksey Committee report on conditions of pay in the Police Force.

Mr. Younger

Yes, Sir. The first part of the Committee's report dealing with pay, allowances and pensions has now been published as a Command paper.

Commander Noble

In view of the long time that has been taken to produce this report, could the Under-Secretary say how long his Department will take to go into it, and when this House may have an opportunity to discuss it?

Mr. Younger

I am afraid that I cannot state any actual date. Obviously it has to be considered by a number of interested bodies as well as by the Department. There will be no unnecessary delay.

Mr. H. D. Hughes

As the police force in many of our towns is under-manned and well below establishment, will my hon. Friend push on as rapidly as possible with a decision about implementing these recommendations?

Mr. Younger

Yes, Sir.

Lieut.-Commander Gurney Braithwaite

Will that be done without waiting for the remainder of the recommendations?

Mr. Younger

Yes, I. think that action can be taken on this part of the report.

Mr. Ellis Smith

Will my hon. Friend ask the Home Secretary to consider the advisability of consulting the Police Federation again before the report is implemented?

Mr. Younger

All the police bodies will be considering this report within the next few days or weeks.

Mr. W. J. Brown

In view of the fact that this Committee has been at work since last December, cannot the Under-Secretary give us some estimate as to when the Government will make up their minds on this matter and announce their decision to the House?

Mr. Younger

I have already said that I cannot give a date.

Mr. Joynson-Hicks

Do I understand from the reply of the Under-Secretary that he is proposing to take action to implement a report before the matter has been discussed by Parliament?

Mr. Younger

Certainly not. I said nothing of the kind.

Captain Crookshank

Oh, yes, the Under-Secretary did.

Mr. Younger

I said nothing of the kind. I suppose the hon. Gentleman was referring to the question in which I was asked, if I understood it rightly, whether it would be necessary to await the second part of the report before anything could be done on the first part, which has been published. That was the question which I intended to answer, and if it was another question which was put to me, that is a different matter. That is how I understood the question.