Mr. KENNEDY JONESasked the Home Secretary whether he is a ware that in the Y Division of the Metropolitan Special Constabulary steel helmets are urgently required for every special constable, and that in the largest sub-division in Y Division there are only fifty steel helmets for the use of 240 men, who have to be on duty every time there is an air raid; whether all these men run serious risk of damage from shrapnel in going to their emergency points, as is the case of every sub-division of the special constabulary; and whether, having regard to his statement on the 1st November last year that he had no reason to think there was any insufficiency of metal helmets for special constables, he will take steps to have the shortage of metal helmets in the Y Division remedied at once?
§ Sir G. CAVEThe hon. Member is probably referring to the police subdivision of which Hornsey is one of the stations. I am informed that the Commissioner has issued instructions that the attendance of special constables at Hornsey and at several other stations in the outer area of the Y Division is to be 1005W considerably reduced, and if these directions are carried out, the supply of helmets in the Y Division is sufficient.