§ Mr. Galbraithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the minimum requirements, physical and scholastic, for normal entry, cadet entry and graduate entry, respectively, into the police force of the City of Glasgow; and how these compare with the average physical and scholastic requirements for other police forces in Scotland.
§ Mr. RossThe Police (Scotland) Regulations, 1956 lay down a minimum height requirement (except in special circum-252W stances) of 5 feet 8 inches for men and 5 feet 4 inches for women and stipulate that a recruit must be certified physically fit to perform the duties of the office of constable. These requirements are the same for all candidates for entry into all Scottish forces; there are no special provisions for cadets or graduates or distinctions between Glasgow and other forces. But subject to these minima, the chief constable of each force has discretion to determine physical suitability. The City of Glasgow police require a height of 5 feet 8 inches for men and 5 feet 41 inches for women. Some other forces in Scotland apply higher limits, but I understand that most are willing to consider applicants down to the minimum height prescribed by the Regulations if exceptionally well qualified.
The scholastic standards required by the Regulations are satisfied by passing a written or oral examination, set by the individual force. No meaningful comparisons between these local force examinations can be made, but arrangements are being made to replace them with a standard entrance examination to be applied throughout Scotland.
§ Mr. Galbraithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the annual intake in each of the last five years by normal entry, by cadet entry, and by graduate entry into the police force of the City of Glasgow; what is the annual wastage in each category; and how this compares with the average intake and wastage in other police forces in Scotland in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. RossSeparate figures indicating recruitment and wastage among different categories of entrants to the police are not available. Recruitment and wastage figures for Glasgow for the period 1963 to 1967 and comparable figures for other forces in Scotland are as follows:
GLASGOW Recruitment Wastage 1963 198 161 1964 138 194 1965 200 154 1966 134 266 1967 163 230
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OTHER SCOTTISH FORCES Recruitment Wastage 1963 601 422 1964 599 407 1965 717 448 1966 645 663 1967 685 564
§ Mr. Galbraithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the salary and promotion scale for policemen in the City of Glasgow who are normal entry, cadet entry and graduate entry, respectively; and how this compares with the average salary and promotion scales of other police forces in Scotland.
§ Mr. RossThe salary scales prescribed in the Police (Scotland) Regulations 1956 are the same for all police officers in Scotland, irrespective of the force to which they belong and their method of entry to it. Promotion to any rank below assistant chief constable is the responsibility of the chief constable, subject to certain qualifications for promotion laid down in the Regulations, which again make no distinction between forces or methods of entry.