22.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the average gross earnings of a police constable in the Metropolitan Police force and the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, respectively.
For the Metropolitan Police the most recent figure available, which is for the four weeks ending 11th October, is £.102·42 a week.The most recent figure available for the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary,
| METROPOLITAN POLICE | |||||||
| Year | Strength at 31st December | Recruits | Transfers from provinces | Wastage | Transfer to provinces | Net gain/loss in strength | |
| 1973 | … | 20,783 | 1,070 | 46 | 1,406 | 222 | -552 |
| 1974 | … | 20,850 | 1,475 | 55 | 1,289 | 170 | +67 |
| 1975 | … | 21,227 | 1,622 | 82 | 1,140 | 169 | +377 |
| 1976 | … | 22,245 | 2,505 | 72 | 1,499 | 68 | +1,018 |
| 1977 (to 30th September) | … | 22,126 | 1,294 | 55 | 1,439 | 45 | -119 |
| Total | … | 7,964 | 310 | 6,773 | 674 | +821 | |
that derived from the Police Council earnings survey for a four-week period in April, was £.72·55 a week.
35.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take in order to ensure that police pay keeps pace with increases in the cost of living and is appropriate to the arduous and responsible nature of the duties.
Those are matters with which the committee of inquiry under Lord Edmund-Davies will be concerned.