SECOND READING. (Hansard, 21 March 1893)

§ LORD MACNAGHTEN
said, that the object of the Bill was a very simple one. It was to provide that constables, when aiding in the extinguishing of fire, and acting in the protection of life and property in case of fire, although according to the police theory not then acting in the execution of their duty, should be deemed to be engaged in the execution of their duty, and should, if injured, be entitled to pensions upon the same scale. The Bill had already passed the House of Commons, and he moved that it be now read a second time.

LORD VERNON
said, that this Bill also had received the approval of the Home Office. The main object of the Bill was to make the extinguishment of fires a police duty in such a way as to entitle constables injured in helping to extinguish tire to receive the high rates of pension granted to constables injured in the execution of duty. The Government were only too glad to secure to the police constables who might be injured while engaged in connection with the extinction of fire pensions on the same scale as police constables injured on police duty. It was only right, if a constable was employed in the exceptional and unusually hazardous duty of saying life and property from fire, that neither he nor his family should suffer because he was gallant enough to undertake duties not usually considered to be those of a police officer. Speaking generally, fire-brigade duty was not regarded as part of a police constable's duty; it was not so in any county; it was not necessarily so in any borough. If, therefore, a constable was injured while engaged in fire-brigade duty he would not ordinarily receive the pension on the higher scale as if injured in the execution of duty, but only the pension on a lower scale applicable to constables accidentally injured. In some cases, however, the extinguishment of fires was made police duty by Local Act. There was either a special clause to this effect in the Local Act, or the provisions of the Town Police Clauses Act were incorporated, one of which was as follows:— Constables appointed by virtue of this and a special Act shall keep watch and ward within the limits of the special Act, and shall use their best endeavours to prevent mischief by fire, all felonies, misdemeanours, and breaches of the peace. 627 The Government thought that, so far as the amendment of the law affected constables occasionally acting as firemen, it should be allowed. It only made universal what was already the law in many large and important boroughs. The Government, however, while approving the general principles of the original Bill, that a police constable acting as a fireman should be deemed to be in the execution of his duty, thought it right, amongst other Amendments, to put in one safeguarding the interest of the Police Pension Fund. Its present income was derived from a small deduction from the pay of constables, from fines and fees, from interest on investments, and from a Government contribution. If the fire-brigade-men joined the fund it would involve a heavy new charge, and would bring no additional income except the deduction from the pay of the men. Mr. Herbert Gladstone in the other House inserted an Amendment that the Police Pension Fund should obtain contribution from the fund or rate chargeable with fire-brigade expenses. He had drawn attention to these one or two points because, although the Bill was not initiated by the Government, it was practically remodelled in the House of Commons by Amendments moved by the Under Secretary of State for the Home Office, after which it received the approval and support of the Government. It was proposed to insert some further Amendments when the Bill reached Committee stage in their Lordships' House, not with a view to alter the provisions which now appeared in the Bill, but to make some additional amendment in the provisions of the Police Act, 1890. He hoped the Committee would be deferred till after Easter.

§ LORD MACNAGHTEN
said, he would accept any time which would suit the Government.

§ LORD PLAYFAIR
said that on going into Committee he would move, with the concurrence of the Scotch Office, that the provisions of the Bill be extended to Scotland.