§ 52. Sir G. Willsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Police as regards the appointment of a Chief Inspector of Constabulary.
§ Mr. BrookeI accept the recommendation of the Royal Commission that a Chief Inspector of Constabulary should be appointed, and Her Majesty The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector for England and Wales, as from 1st December, of Sir William Johnson, C.M.G., C.B.E. It is not proposed that the responsibilities of the new Chief Inspector should extend to Scotland. In coming to this conclusion the Government took into account in particular the reservations expressed by two Scottish members of the Commission.
Sir William Johnson, after distinguished service as a chief constable, has been one of Her Majesty's Inspectors since 1945; and I am indebted to him for agreeing to put his great knowledge and experience at my disposal for an initial period in the new office.
Sir William Johnson will retire at the end of 1963. It is my intention then to recommend to Her Majesty the appointment, as his successor, of Mr. E. J. Dodd, C.B.E., the Chief Constable of Birmingham; and I am grateful to the Birmingham Watch Committee for agreeing to make his services available in the meantime, on a part-time basis, so that he may co-operate with Sir William Johnson in the work of 88W organising the responsibilities of the new post and studying the further recommendations relating to the Inspectorate made by the Royal Commission. In view of the extent and importance of that work, I propose to recommend to Her Majesty, as soon as possible, the appointment of an additional Inspector, and also to appoint senior police officers to act as staff officers to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector and to each of Her Majesty's Inspectors.
I am following up the further recommendation of the Royal Commission that a central police research and planning unit should be established in the Home Office under the general direction of the Chief Inspector of Constabulary.