§ Mr. F. GRAYasked the Home Secretary whether the proposed reduction of police remuneration will be confined to 59W those now joining the forces and not extended to those who joined on representations made upon the basis of which they entered into contracts?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANNo proposals for the reduction of police scales of pay have been formulated, and any such step could only be taken after the fullest possible investigation of every aspect of the matter.
§ Mr. FOOTasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an Order has been issued by the Treasury whereby the various unions throughout the country have been called upon by county councils to make provision in their estimates for payment of police pensions in advance?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI have been asked to reply to this question. The requirement that police pensions shall be paid in advance is not a matter of order or regulation of the Treasury, but is a statutory requirement contained in Section 14 (7) of the Police Pensions Act, 1921.
Sir T. HENDERSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the police pension funds of corporations, previously in existence as separate funds, have recently been merged into the general police funds, and that the repayments of Income Tax formerly allowed from the former fund have been discontinued; and whether, in view of the consequent hardship, he will allow the tax still to be repaid, considering that there is no change in the use to which the transferred funds are put, these being in fact earmarked for the police pensions, the income therefrom being solely applied for that purpose?
§ Major BOYD-CARPENTERThe repayment to which the hon. Member refers was made under an extra statutory arrangement dating from a remote past. It was always open to criticism as being extra-legal and was necessarily withdrawn in the altered circumstances resulting from the Police Pensions Act, 1921.