§ 133. Mr. Keelingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in order to attract into the police some of the best of the young men coming out of the fighting forces and give early training to men suitable for advancement to senior police posts, he intends to reopen Hendon College.
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§ Mr. OliverWhile my right hon. Friend is most anxious to attract good recruits into the police, the right policy, in his view, is that they should enter as constables and prove their suitability for advancement by police service. He fully recognises the importance of higher training for those so selected, and is at present consulting representatives of police authorities, and representatives of the police service itself, on the possibility of establishing a national police college to meet the needs of all police forces in England and Wales.
§ Mr. Osborneasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recruits have joined the police forces during the year ended 30th September; and if he is satisfied that the number is adequate and that reasonable police complaints receive due attention.
§ Mr. Ede6,060 recruits have joined the Metropolitan police force, the City of London police force, and the county and borough forces of England and Wales during the 12 months ended 30th September—most of them during the nine months of 1946 included in this period. With the exception of some individual forces, notably the Metropolitan police force, recruits have in general been taken in up to the limit of the quarterly quota of recruits allocated to each force by the Home Office. As regards the last part of the Question, while I have confidence in the machinery which has been devised to enable members of the police force to draw attention to reasonable complaints, I shall be glad to consider any particular point of difficulty which the hon. Member may have in mind.