§ 39. Mr. Russellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in order to free the overburdened Metropolitan Police for their primary task of protecting the community and preventing serious crime, he will consider the establishment of a special body of traffic police, whose standards of fitness and training could be lower than normal, to regulate traffic and deal with offences under the Road Traffic Acts.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeProposals of this nature have been considered from time to time but have not been found acceptable. In particular, I am not convinced that men of a lower standard of fitness and training could perform these duties satisfactorily.
§ Mr. RussellWould my right hon. and gallant Friend not agree that to chase motorists for car parking offences and deal with them in police courts obviously does not require such a high standard of fitness as the catching of criminals? Would he not also agree that if the long-term car parking problem in London is to be solved, much more activity on the part of the police will be required?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI agree that that is probably so, but I was taking the matter as it is today and was dealing rather with the question of men of a lower standard of fitness and training. I assure my hon. Friend that as things are, the strain on police who have to do traffic duties is very high indeed.