§ 5.57 p.m.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE rose to ask His Majesty's Government if they can state the total number of Metropolitan and City of London police officers employed constantly on the manual operation of traffic lights, such as those on the 472 Embankment and Kensington High Street, and whether in view of the shortage of police officers, operation of all such controls could be carried out automatically or by man-power other than trained policemen. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to ask the question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ LORD WALKDENMy Lords, in the Metropolitan Police District police officers are at present regularly employed on the operation of eight traffic signals. The effect of installing these signals has been to reduce the number of men employed in controlling traffic by eighteen. It is, however, hoped to convert some of the signals to automatic working as soon as the supply position permits. My right honourable friend is informed that in the City of London police officers are engaged in operating traffic signals at Ludgate Circus, but that these will be converted to automatic working as soon as conditions permit. In addition, manually-operated traffic signals are installed from time to time in places where road works are in progress, or where for some other reason traffic is reduced to a single line. The number of these signals in use, and the number of police officers employed, vary according to circumstances.
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. I take it the Government are going to stop as soon as possible the position we have seen for eight years, of policemen on the Embankment and in other places insulated from the rest of the world in a glass cabinet.
§ LORD WALKDENWe are anxious to do that as soon as possible.