§ Captain Earl WINTERTONasked the Home Secretary whether he can state if the issue of his recent circular to chief constables on the subject of recruiting of members of the police has resulted in an increased supply of such recruits; if he is aware that in the administrative county of West Sussex 50 per cent. of the whole 1665W force and nearly all men of military age have joined the Army, whereas in other police forces numbers of young men of military age still remain; if the discrepancies in the results obtained are due to unfair pressure not to join the Army put upon the men by certain chief constables; and if he has the power to withhold the Government Grant where such cases are proved?
§ Mr. McKENNAI think the Noble Lord must have been misinformed, as I have not issued any recent circular to chief constables on the subject. The answer to the second question is in the affirmative. As regards the third question, no case has been brought to my notice in which it was alleged that unfair pressure was exercised. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.