"1
Branch Boards in the various Forces can submit representations
to the Secretary of State, their police authorities, or Chief
Officers of Police. Specimens of the Minutes and Resolutions
of the various Central Committees of the Federation, and of
Resolutions submitted by the Metropolitan Branch Boards are
enclosed.
lir. Clynes may add at this point that Chief Officers and
Superintendents are able, if a casion arises, to discuss
questions affecting them by means of a non-statutory system of
District and Central Conferences (which is, however, primarily
intended for the discussion of matters of general police
administration) for the two ranks separately, and to make
representations either direct to the Secretary of State or
through their delegates on the Police Council.
The Secretary of State has no hesitation in saying that
so far as England and Wales are concerned the establishment of
the Police Federation has been amply justified by the results.
The Federation has not only served the constitutional purpose
for which it was set up, but has afforded from time to time a
ready and satisfactory means of ascertaining the views of the
ranks concerned on questions initiated by the Secretary of State
or police authorities. Whether such an organisation would be
suitable for adoption in the Hong Kong police is, in view of the
special characteristics of that Force, a matter on which
Mr. Clymes feels hardly competent to express an opinion, but so
far as he can judge there would be little scope for anything in
the nature of the full scheme, which, as Lord Passfield will
appreciate, was expressly designed to provide for the
representations of the members of a large number of independent
forces. It appears to him possible, however, that an
organisation might usefully be adapted from the Branch Board
side/