§ Colonel DAYasked the Home Secretary the number of police officers who have been disqualified from rent aid and on what grounds have such disallowments been made; and the number of officers who are paying their own travelling expenses, owing to the lack of suitable accommodation in the divisions to which they are posted?
1954Womnibuses, and motor bicycles, separately, together with the sum of money collected from the owners of these types of vehicles?
§ Colonel ASHLEYThe following statement will give my hon. and gallant Friend the information which he seeks:
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe only grounds on which officers, other than those living in official quarters are disqualified from receiving rent aid are (1) that they incur no expense in respect of rent, or (2) that they have refused to occupy suitable official quarters provided for them, or (3) that, being single men, they have obtained permission to live in private lodgings or houses, for their own convenience, in preference to occupying official quarters. The total number of members of the Metropolitan Police so excepted is approximately 246. Where, owing to lack of accommodation, an officer on transfer cannot be provided with or find suitable accommodation, his travelling expenses may be reimbursed until accommodation becomes available up to a period of 18 months. Some 900 members of the force living over 2 miles from their station are at present paying their own travelling expenses, but this is not necessarily due to lack of accommodation. In many cases it is an arrangement sanctioned to meet the men's personal convenience.