HC Deb 21 November 1957 vol 578 cc548-50
24. Captain Pilkington

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will recommend the mobile police in the Metropolis to warn motorists, where necessary, to keep into the left, to leave a gap between themselves and the vehicle in front except when they intend to overtake, and generally to attempt to break up long queues of slow-moving traffic.

Mr. R. A. Butler

Operational matters of this kind must be left to the Commissioner of Police. He informs me that the subjects mentioned in the Question are covered by standing instructions to traffic patrols.

Captain Pilkington

Is my right hon. Friend aware that I wanted this Question to apply to all the police and not just to the Metropolitan Police but that I had difficulty in drafting the Question in that way? Does he not think that, if the police were encouraged to do this much more, there would be substantial relief to the present long and interminable queues of motorists.

Mr. Butler

I hope that forces outside the Metropolitan area will notice my hon. and gallant Friend's ingenuity and persistence on a subject which is very important.

25. Captain Pilkington

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recommendations he has made to the Metropolitan Police in respect of

Year or Period Age of victim
Under one year One year but under 14 years 60 years or over All ages
1952 … … … 9 43 20 141
1953 … … … 11 39 23 141
1954 … … … 9 42 23 145
1955 … … … 10 49 17 133
1956 … … … 6 38 20 151
January—September, 1957 … … … 13 40 15 142
Notes
1. The figures, which relate to England and Wales only, show the number of victims of offences recorded by the police as murder or which would have been so recorded but for the passing of the Homicide Act, excluding those which to date have been found to be some other offence.
2. The figures for the current year are not exactly comparable with those for earlier years, because they necessarily contain a higher proportion of cases which have not been disposed of by the courts, some of which may be found not to be murders.
27. Mr. Hyde

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in future publications of criminal statistics

breaking up long traffic queues by requiring large slow-moving vehicles to draw into lay-byes.

Mr. R. A. Butler

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that traffic patrols escorting large slow-moving vehicles or observing difficulties in the case of unescorted vehicles require the vehicles to be stopped periodically to allow following traffic to clear. There are very few lay-byes in the Metropolitan Police District suitable for the accommodation of vehicles carrying abnormally heavy loads.

Captain Pilkington

If it is practicable, can the police be encouraged to do this more frequently?

Mr. Butler

Yes, Sir.

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