HC Deb 23 June 1966 vol 730 cc898-9
29. Mr. Goodhart

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had on the possible reduction of the physical standards required of certain recruits for the police.

Mr. Taverne

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 16th June to a Question by my hon. friend the Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Joyce Butler).

Mr. Goodhart

Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that almost half the present Cabinet are too short and more than half the male population are too short to be recruited into any police force in this country? In view of the increased specialisation which can come within the larger police forces now to be created, is there not a case for looking at this matter again?

Mr. Taverne

It is being looked at again. It is being looked at by the Working Party. While I see the compelling force of the argument advanced by the hon. Gentleman, I would not regard it as conclusive in the case of either the present Cabinet or the Shadow Cabinet, because they might not necessarily make good policemen.