§ Brigadier-General SURTEESasked the Home Secretary what is the total number of women police appointed during the past six months; what number, if any, have been appointed to the towns and cities of the United Kingdom; how many arrests and convictions are credited to them; if their pay and emoluments are equal to those of the men and, if not, what is the scale; and if any of them have been placed on night duty and with what result?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe answers to the hon. and gallant Member's questions so far as regards the Metropolitan Police are as follow:—
The establishment of women police attached to the Metropolitan Police consists of:—
1 Superintendent.
1 Assistant Superintendent.
10 Sergeants.
100 Women Patrols.
No addition has been made during the past six months. Women police do not make arrests; but 140 police court convictions have been credited to them in the six months ended 30th June.
The scale of pay is:—
Sergeants, 60s., rising by 2s. to 70s. Women patrols, 48s., rising by 2s. to 58s.
Their duties are more limited and their hours of work shorter than those of men. Women have not been employed on street duty later than midnight, but they are occasionally employed all night at hospitals and police stations in charge of female prisoners. In towns and cities outside the Metropolitan Police District the appointment, pay, and duties of women police rest with the local police authorities, and I have no later information than that contained in the Report of His Majesty's Inspectors of Constabulary published last May. It appears from that Report that in September last the number of policewomen outside the Metropolitan Police District was 144.