§ Mr. T. GRIFFITHSasked the Home Secretary whether he will authorise the payment of back pay due to ex-Police Constables Whitehead and Allsworth, seeing that the only reason for the withholding of it is that the ex-constables continue to occupy police quarters, and are only doing so because of the lack of other housing accommodation, and to leave the quarters would mean the families would 1168W be homeless and would have to go into the workhouse; whether he is aware that these men are willing to pay the rent during their occupation, and that the Commissioner of Police has given his permission for them to remain in the quarters owing to the difficulties of obtaining housing accommodation; and whether, in view of the fact that the families are in need of the money, he will consider immediate payment of the money earned by the men?
§ Mr. SHORTTI am informed by the Commissioner of Police that it is not the case that he has given permission for these men to remain in police quarters; on the contrary, they were served with a notice to quit more than three months ago, and their continued occupation of these quarters is a great inconvenience to the police service and a hardship to other officers who should be occupying them. By reason of not having had to pay rent, they have already saved more than is due to them as arrears of pay, but these arrears will be paid to them as soon as they vacates the quarters.