HL Deb 25 July 1930 vol 78 cc865-7

Clause 54, page 43, line 31 leave out ("vested in that council") and insert: ("(3) Advances may be made out of the Road Fund towards the expenses incurred by any highway authority in the erection of weighbridges or other machines for weighing vehicles, or towards any sum paid by a highway authority to a person in consideration of his allowing a weigh- bridge or other weighing machine to be used for weighing motor vehicles or trailers.

(4) Advances may be made out of the Road Fund towards any expenses incurred by a police authority in the provision and maintenance of vehicles or equipment for use by the police force in connection with the enforcement of this Act.

(5) The provisions of the Development and Road Improvement Funds Act, 1909, as amended by any subsequent enactment, shall apply in relation to advances made under subsections (3) and (4) of this section as they apply in relation to advances to a highway authority under Part II. of the said Act.")

EARL RUSSELL

My Lords, the scope of the clause has been extended by the addition of subsection (4), which provides that an advance may be made out of the Road Fund towards any expenses incurred by a police authority in the provision and maintenance of vehicles and the equipment for their use in connection with the enforcement of the Act. This is for what are officially called mobile police unions, but what were more familiarly known in another place as "speed cops". The establishment of such police is no doubt very important, and will become increasingly so; and the Minister announced in another place that he had obtained the consent of the Home Office to this course being taken. This clause provides for subventions to that force from the Road Fund, with Treasury consent. I beg to move.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Earl Russell.)

EARL HOWE

My Lords, I do not wish in any way to oppose this clause, but I would like to ask the noble Earl in charge of the Bill whether it is the intention of the Home Secretary to send round any circulars to police authorities in connection with the policemen detailed for this particular duty. A great deal will depend on whether the man has really had a certain amount of training in the particular duty for which he is told off. He will be very little good unless he does receive some special training, and I dare say the noble Earl could give me an assurance that inexperienced men will not be detailed for this particular job.

EARL RUSSELL

My Lords, when the Bill was in your Lordships' House I did mention that my right hon. friend the Home Secretary was going to send out a circular to the police in connection with the provisions of this Act generally, and no doubt, either in that circular or in some separate circular, he may deal with the character of these special police. But, of course, the noble Earl knows that it is not the province of the Home Secretary to give orders to the local police; they are under the control of the local authority and the chief constable. But I agree entirely with what the noble Earl says. It is perfectly obvious that if these men are to be of real use they must be men of experience, they must be able to distinguish between what is and what is not dangerous driving, and I have very little doubt that that will be borne in mind. But I will certainly take an opportunity of seeing that it is brought specially to the notice of the Home Secretary.

On Question, Motion agreed to.