HL Deb 15 June 1950 vol 167 cc795-8WA
VISCOUNT SIMON

asked His Majesty's Government:

  1. (1) What are the monthly figures to date for the gross intake, wastage, and net increase in the numbers of the Metropolitan Police for each month since February last corresponding to the figures of 707, 536, and 171 stated in Part I of the Oaksey Report for the period October, 1949-February, 1950?
  2. (2) What is the number of houses for married policemen of the Metropolitan Police Force completed by the police authority since the end of the war down to March 31, 1949? How many more of such houses had been completed in the next 12 months?
  3. (3) How many additional houses have been built and completed by local authorities in London since the war? 796 How many of these have been provided for the Metropolitan Police?
  4. (4) Inasmuch as the housing authorities, in the view of the Government, have "let us down badly in this matter," will the Government consider keeping an allocation of building materials in their own hands in order to issue building licences direct to police authorities?
  5. (5) Is there nothing further that the Government can do to help to secure more adequate results for housing the police in a matter which so vitally affects the bringing up of the numbers of the Force to an adequate figure and the protection of citizens from unprevented and undetected crime?

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

1. The figures for gross intake, wastage and net increase in the numbers of the Metropolitan Police for March and April and May of this year are:

  • March, recruited 74 men and 13 women;
  • wastage 71 men and 6 women;
  • net increase 3 men and 7 women.
  • April, recruited 60 men and 9 women;
  • wastage 67 men and 4 women;
  • net decrease of 7 men and increase of 5 women.
  • May, recruited 124 men and 12 women;
  • wastage 74 men and 8 women;
  • net increase 50 men and 4 women.

2. Number of houses provided by police authority:

period By new By construction adaptation By purchase or lease Total
From the end of the war to 31st March, 1949. 167 48 215
1st April, 1949, to 31st March, 1950. 78 23 101
Total 245 71 316

3. Number of houses completed by housing authorities in the Metropolitan Police District from the end of the war to 31st March, 1950–96,956.

Number of these let to police—659.

4. Police authorities are authorised to build houses for the police and the necessary allocations of building materials are made. Police authorities generally are completing about 100 houses a month and are letting tenders at a substantially higher rate, but these figures fall far below those which the Government have authorised and for which the materials can be made available.

5. In the view of the Government the problem can be solved only by energetic action on the part of the police authorities generally, with sympathetic cooperation from the housing authorities. The Government have drawn the attention of all the authorities concerned to the relevant recommendations of the Oaksey Committee and urged them to do all they can to give effect to them. The Government have also given all necessary authorities for a very considerable increase in the number of houses being provided for the police and they hope that the coming months will see a marked improvement in the position. As regards London, where the position has been particularly difficult, authority has been given for putting in hand the construction of 1,000 new quarters in the present financial year and every effort will be made to attain that target.

House adjourned at thirteen minutes past eight o'clock.