§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give a detailed list of the various emoluments paid to the police in cash and kind in addition to their normal wages and salaries; and what is the actual or estimated value of such goods or services supplied.
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§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe principal emoluments, other than salaries, which police officers receive are:
- (1) Rent allowance: the current range of maximum allowances for married officers is from £9.75 per week to £22.55 per week.
- (2) Uniform allowance: officers of the rank of inspector and above who are required to perform duty in uniform but are not supplied with one are paid a uniform allowance instead. Senior officers in the Metropolitan Police, for example, currently receive £130 a year.
- (3) Plain clothes allowance: officers required to perform duty in plain clothes are paid an allowance as follows:
Superintendent … … £129 Inspector … … £122 Sergeant … … £110 Constable … … £102 (4) National Health Service charges: all police officers are reimbursed NHS charges.
(5) Undermanning allowance: officers below the ranks of superintendent in the Metropolitan, City of London and West Midlands Police forces are paid an undermanning allowance at the rate of £65 a year for constables and sergeants—£30 a year in the case of constables with less than three years' service—and £45 a year for inspectors and chief inspectors. Former members of the Liverpool and Bootle force also got the allowance on a personal basis.
(6) London allowance: officers in the Metropolitan and City of London Police forces are paid an annual allowance of £319—£245 above the rank of chief superintendent.
(7) Promotion examination allowances: a once-only payment of £45 is made to a constable or a sergeant who obtains a pass in a promotion examination.
The rent allowance is effectively tax free; the uniform, plain clothes and promotion examination allowances are tax free.