§ 2.35 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether a conference of chief constables has recently been held on the subject of the employment of plain clothes motor police patrols, and whether His Majesty's Government have any statement to make.]
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, the employment of plain clothes police for motor patrol duty was only one of a number of subjects discussed at a recent conference of chief constables. As I informed the House on a previous occasion, the measures taken by the police to prevent and detect breaches of the law arc primarily the responsibility of individual chief officers of police; but my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department informed the conference that, in the light of the appalling toll of casualties from road accidents, His Majesty's Government are in sympathy with any measure, including the proper employment of plain clothes patrols, which has as its object the prevention of dangerous driving and the detection of that small minority of selfish and reckless motorists who at present disregard the law.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he is aware that a scientific investigation was carried out by the Road Research Board into the employment of "courtesy cops," when it was found that the scheme resulted in a 10 per cent. diminution of accidents in the areas where it operated. If plain clothes 270 motor patrols are to be instituted, can he arrange with the director of the Road Research Board that the same careful and scientific investigation into their activities will be carried out as was done in the case of the "courtesy cop" scheme?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, the question which appears on the Order Paper asked whether the Government have any statement to make following the recent conference of chief constables. What the noble Earl has just placed before the House may or may not be accurate—I cannot say at the moment, but it does not arise out of the Question. However, I will take a note of what the noble Earl has said and convey it to my right honourable friend.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, I beg the noble Lord's pardon if he thinks my supplementary question does not arise out of the main Question. I wanted to obtain a statement from the Government on the whole situation. The noble Lord has now given me a statement which shows that his right honourable friend the Home Secretary is in favour of plain clothes patrols as a contribution towards dealing with the problem of road accidents—a problem we are all anxious to solve. I hope that my supplementary question will not be lost sight of when this matter comes to be considered.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I assure the noble Earl that his supplementary question will not be lost sight of; but if he desires a full answer to a lengthy question I suggest that he should give notice of it and then I shall try to oblige.