§ 6. Mr. van Straubenzeeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received any representations to transfer the control of the Metropolitan Police to the Greater London Council.
§ Mr. WhitelawI have received no such representations from the Greater London Council.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeGiven the special nature of policing in the capital city, will my right hon. Friend confirm that successive Governments of both parties have taken the view that the Home Secretary of the day is the appropriate authority, rather than the Greater London Council, for policing purposes? Does he understand that he will have widespread support if he resists the type of representations suggested in the question?
§ Mr. WhitelawMy right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear in the House recently that the Government will not change the position whereby the Home Secretary is the police authority for the Metropolitan Police. My hon. Friend is correct in saying that this has been the policy of successive Governments. I believe that there are good reasons for it. The policing of the capital city, with all the problems of policing Parliament, the seat of the Royal Family and everything else that goes on in London, requires a special position, in the national interest. I believe that Parliament would experience great difficulty if it decided to make a change only to find that there was no one answerable in the House for the problems involved in the policing of Parliament and everything connected with it.