§ 4. Wing Commander Hulbertasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the present strength of the Metropolitan police force; and what steps are being taken to stimulate recruitment.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeThe strength of the Metropolitan police force on 20th February, 1955, was 15,641 men and 504 women. Every effort has been and is being made to encourage recruitment. The conditions of service of the Metropolitan police force cannot be considered in isolation, but must depend on conclusions reached by the Police Council for Great Britain, which at present has before it certain proposals relating to hours of duty and police pensions. So far as the Metropolitan police force itself is concerned, advertising is continuing on a substantial scale; lectures about the police service are given by police officers at schools and military depots and to young people's societies; and the building of new houses and flats for police officers is being pressed forward on a considerable scale.