§ *LORD BELPER, in moving the Second Reading of this Bill, said that the Measure was intended to carry out an arrangement which was made by the late Government in the year 1895, and by which there would be a transfer of the expenses of the police courts, other than the salaries and superannuation allowances of the police magistrates, to the police fund. Hitherto, while the police stations had been supported by the police fund the police courts had been supported by Votes of Parliament. In many cases the buildings were under the same roof, and it had been found very inconvenient and confusing that there should be two controlling bodies. The property was to be transferred to the receiver of Metropolitan Police. It had been calculated that there would be an additional cost to the police fund by the transfer of about £6,600 a year, but some 1448 means had been sought by which the loss could be made up by the Treasury. For some years a demand had been made by the Receiver General for the expenses of the police employed at the Houses of Parliament to be paid by the Government. It had never been admitted by the Treasury that it was their duty to defray these expenses, which amounted to about £7,000, but it was now thought that their payment would be a. fair quid pro quo for the throwing of the expenses of the police courts upon the police fund. There was no reference to that circumstance in the Bill, but the arrangement would be secured by a letter from the Treasury. There were some negotiations and discussion with regard to the financial aspect of the Bill in the other House of Parliament, but eventually the Measure passed without Amendment, so that it might be assumed that it was practically assented to by the local authorities.
Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.