§ Mr. Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to improve the standard of police recruitment in the Metropolitan district; and what steps are being taken to train selected recruits for the higher levels of work in the force.
§ Mr. WoodhouseThe Commissioner of Police informs me that 46 per cent. of serving officers recruited to the Metropolitan Police Force in the last five and a half years have had a grammar school or public school education. Every effort is made to obtain sufficient recruits of good educational standard by advertising, by participation in careers conferences and by direct approaches to schools and universities. As regards the second part of the Question, the Metropolitan Police Force, apart from force training, takes a full part in the national system for the selection and training at the Police College of young men of exceptional promise; and Metropolitan officers attend the senior staff course at the College designed to equip senior officers for the highest posts in the Service.