HC Deb 07 December 1944 vol 406 cc756-8W
Mr. Astor

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will add to his committee which is reporting on the police, representatives of the younger chief constables, especially those who have graduated through the Hendon Police College.

Mr. H. Morrison

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend that the Police Post-War Committee should be representative of all points of view among chief officers of police, and, with this in view, the three working Sub-Committees into which the main Committee has divided itself were informed at the outset that it was open to them to co-opt chief constables who were not members of the main Committee but could speak for some particular interest or point of view not directly represented on that Committee. A number of chief constables have in fact been co-opted to the Sub-Committees under these arrangements. Amongst them are representatives of the smaller county and borough forces and also a chief constable who was a student at the Metropolitan Police College at Hendon.

Mr. H. Thorneycroft

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, before taking any steps to give effect to the recommendations as to the recruitment and training of police in the transition period after the end of hostilities in Europe made by the committee appointed jointly by him and the Secretary of State for Scotland, in September, 1943, he proposes to obtain the views of those police authorities by whom police training schools have already been established and give the House an opportunity of discussing the recommendations.

Mr. H. Morrison

The Committee, which consisted of officials and chief officers of police, was appointed for the purpose of exploring certain technical problems affecting the efficiency of the police service which are likely to arise in the immediate post-war period; and the recommendations of the Committee were sent to the County Councils Association and the Association of Municipal Corporations in September last with a view to their circulation to all police authorities (including, of course, police authorities which had their own police training schools). It was then made clear that the views of the police authorities would be welcomed, and that, if desired, arrangements would be made for those recommendations to be discussed orally with representatives of the two Associations in the first instance. I understand that the two Associations have taken steps to obtain the views of police authorities and I hope that they will be in a position to discuss the proposals with my Department in the very near future. As regards the last part of the Question, I should certainly have no objection to these matters being discussed by the House if indication were given through the usual channels that this was the general wish. In any event, I should be very pleased to give full particulars of the suggested arrangements to any hon. Member who may be interested.

Lieut.-Commander Joynson-Hicks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, as the military operational necessities which caused him to make Orders under the Defence (Amalgamation of Police) Regulations, 1942, no longer exist, he will withdraw the Orders.

Mr. H. Morrison

This is a matter which I have not overlooked, but I am not in a position to make any statement at present.