§ 6.31 p.m.
§ EARL WINTERTONMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government if they will appoint a Committee to inquire into whether local authorities having statutory control of police forces are exercising that control satisfactorily; and. if not, whether, to prevent inefficiency or abuse of their duties by senior police officers, local authorities and the inspector of constabulary should be given a greater power of control over county and borough police forces.]
543§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, it is the duty of my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to satisfy himself that local police authorities properly discharge their statutory responsibilities, and he does so on the basis of reports by Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary. Her Majesty's Government do not consider that there are grounds for appointing a Committee as suggested by my noble friend to inquire whether local authorities having statutory control of police forces are exercising that control satisfactorily.
As to the second part of the Question, senior police officers are amenable, like any other person, to the ordinary process of the courts. In addition, police officers of every rank are subject to the police discipline code: police authorities have adequate powers to deal with inefficiency or misconduct; and Her Majesty's Government do not consider that there are grounds for extending the powers of local authorities and Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary.
§ EARL WINTERTONMy Lords, I do not want to trouble your Lordships with a long supplementary question at this hour of the evening, but in view of what I must regard as, to quote a term more common in another place than in your Lordships' House, the very unsatisfactory nature of the Answer, I beg to give the Minister notice that if I can find an available day I shall put down a Motion with a demand for Papers.