HC Deb 04 February 1938 vol 331 c552W
Mr. Rhys Davies

asked the Home Secretary whether any persons are admitted to the Hendon Police College direct from colleges and universities; if so, how many such are admitted and how many are admitted who are already serving in the force; whether those trained at the college are promoted automatically to the higher ranks; and whether this practice has the effect of closing opportunities for promotion to ordinary police officers who have failed to secure admission to Hendon?

Sir S. Hoare

Admission to the Metropolitan Police College is obtainable in three ways (1) by selection from serving members of the force, (2) by competitive examination, or (3) in the case of those who have attained a certain standard of education by selection without examination. These latter ways of entry are open both to members of the force and to persons outside it. The number of students admitted to the college are:

(a) From the Metropolitan police force:
By selection of serving members 114
By competitive examination 11
By selection without examination 5
130
(b) From other police forces:
By competitive examination 4
By selection without examination 1
5
(c) From outside the police service:
By competitive examination 26
By selection without examination 21
47
Total number of students admitted 182

Officers trained at the college will not begin to enter the zone of promotion until May next. They will then be considered for promotion together with officers who have not been trained at the college. The latter will, therefore, continue to have opportunities of promotion to the higher posts, the number of which was considerably increased when the college was started.