HC Deb 31 January 1952 vol 495 cc352-3
33. Mr. Ede

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the balance between wastage and recruitment in each month commencing from three months before the recent increases in pay for the lower ranks of the police forces, giving separately the figures for the Metropolitan Police, all the county police forces and all the county borough police forces in England and Wales.

Sir D. Maxwell Fyfe

I will, with permission, circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The broad effect is that recruitment has increased, and wastage has decreased, in all three types of force; and that there have been net increases of strength during the last three or four months.

Mr. Ede

Is the rate of improvement steadily rising or is it constant?

Sir D. Maxwell Fyfe

It is too soon to say at what level recruiting will settle down, but as I have indicated to the House there are welcome inferences.

Mrs. E. M. Braddock

Is the Home Secretary aware that this increase in recruitment might perhaps be further improved if the Home Office would pay some attention to the question of implementing Part II of the Oaksey Committee's Report? Is he aware that there is dissatisfaction both in the ranks of the police force and among those who wish to join it that no action has been taken with regard to the implementation of Part II of that Report?

Sir D. Maxwell Fyfe

The hon. Lady will remember that she was good enough to raise this point in the discussion of the police Regulations, and I can assure her that before and since that time discussions have been taking place. I have very much in mind the point which she is making.

Mrs. Braddock

Is the Home Secretary aware that the local authorities have

Forces Month (1951) Men Women
Recruitment Wastage Increase (+) or Decrease (-) Recruitment Wastage Increase (+) or Decrease (-)
Metropolitan May … 50 90 -40 4 3 +1
June … 58 88 -30 5 3 +2
July … 63 113 -50 11 7 +4
Pay increased with effect from 3rd August
August … 53 85 -32 8 3 +5
September … 59 69 -10 8 4 +4
October … 116 61 +55 7 6 +1
November … 102 65 +37 9 3 +6
December … 109 66 +43 17 2 +15
Counties May … 142 182 -40 11 3 +8
June … 140 147 -7 22 9 +13
July … 125 187 -62 6 7 -1
Pay increased with effect from 3rd August
August … 167 163 +4 12 8 +4
September … 242 121 +121 13 8 +5
October … 323 100 +223 28 10 +18
November … 338 95 +243 24 10 +14
December … 220 96 +124 12 5 +7
Cities May … 88 157 -69 6 8 -2
June … 113 120 -7 11 13 -2
July … 91 190 -99 9 4 +5
Pay increased with effect from 3rd August
August … 115 130 -15 13 18 -5
September … 233 80 +153 13 10 +3
October … 217 98 +119 12 8 +4
November … 253 74 +179 10 7 +3
December … 174 70 +104 15 5 +10