§ Mr. W. A. Robinsonasked the Home Secretary why the recruitment of special constables is ended; and if he will take steps to re-open such recruitment, considering the added assistance needed to the police forces of the country in these difficult days of black-out and war?
§ Sir J. AndersonAs regards the Metropolitan Police District, recruitment for the special constabulary was suspended in September last as the Commissioner of
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§ Sir J. AndersonAccording to the returns furnished by the local authorities, the total estimated expenditure on air-raid precautions, including emergency fire precautions, in the administrative counties and county boroughs in Wales and Monmouthshire during the period 1st January, 1937 to 30th September, 1939, was as shown in column 2 of the following statement. The returns do not indicate how much of this expenditure is in respect of salaries and wages. The total grants paid to date by my Department are shown in column 3. These represent provisional payments pending audit and final examination of claims. Nothing is included in any of these figures in respect of the pay of whole-time volunteers within the authorised War Establishments, as this charge is borne by the Exchequer.
Police was satisfied that the numbers available were sufficient to meet requirements. So far as I am aware, there has been no general suspension of recruitment elsewhere.