§ MR. JENNINGS (Stockport)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether the Estimates upon which Supply is voted by the House of Commons accurately represent the actual staff and expenses of the various Public Departments; whether there has been a material reduction under Vote 3, Class III., since the Estimates for 1888–9 were laid upon the Table; whether the number of Masters of the Supreme Court has been reduced during the past 12 months, and whether all the Masters have been in daily attendance throughout that period; whether the number of clerks in the Central Office of the Supreme Court is 77, and not 84, as shown in the Estimates, and whether it is true that the scale of salaries for all these clerks is from £100 to £600 a-year; whether the office of Pursebearer to the Lord Chancellor has been abolished, or is merely being carried on under another name with the same salary; and why, if material changes have been made in the Vote, the House was not informed of the fact when the amount was asked for on the 13th instant?
§ THE SECRETARY (Mr. JACKSON) (Leeds, N.)The Estimate upon which Supply is voted represents accurately the staff and costs of a Department up to the middle of January, when the Estimate goes to the printer. It is, of course, impossible to foresee what retirements may take place during the course of the following year. The alterations in the staff of the Supreme Court since the Estimate was laid on the Table in March last have not been so material as to call 126 for a departure from the usual practice. In the Central Office the number of Masters has recently been reduced by retirement from 16 to 15, and the number of clerks from 84 to 77. In accordance with the recommendations of the Committee, 1887, the vacancies thus caused and the three next which may occur among the clerks will not be filled up. The scale of salary for the clerks is that recommended by the Committee—namely, from £100 to £600 a-year; but there are three clerks in receipt of £700, in consequence of rights acquired before the Committee's inquiry and Report. The attendance of the Masters during the full office hours is at present the subject of inquiry by the Lord Chancellor. There is no separate office of Pursebearer. The duties have been assigned without an increase of salary to the office of the Lord Chancellor's Clerk of the Chamber, an office declared to be necessary by the Royal Commission of 1874. The economy effected will be apparent by comparing the Estimates of 1884–5 with those of the following year, when the change was made:—1884–5, Gentleman of the Chamber, £400, with an allowance for discharging duties of Pursebearer £100, and Sealer, £50—total, £550; 1885–6, Pursebearer and Clerk of the Chamber, £400. Pull particulars of the changes and economies effected in the Lord Chancellor's Department by the re organization which then took place will appear in the Correspondence between the Lord Chancellor and the Treasury, which has been moved for by the right hon. Member for South Edinburgh (Mr. Childers).
§ MR. JENNINGSasked when the alterations were made; and whether it was not a fact that on the day the House voted £400 under the head of Purse-bearer to the Lord Chancellor the office had been abolished?
§ MR. JACKSONI do not admit it is the fact that the House voted £400 under the name of Pursebearer; because, if you will look at the Estimates, you will see it is for the Pursebearer and for the Clerk to the Chamber. If I might venture to criticize the wording of it, I think, when the change was made, it would have been better if the duties of Clerk to the Chamber had been put first. Putting the office of Pursebearer first has given rather undue prominence to it.
§ MR. JENNINGSWhen were these changes made? When was the number of clerks reduced?
§ MR. JACKSONI cannot give the precise dates; but I may remind the House that when this Vote was under discussion I stated that redundant clerks had been called upon to retire; I was not aware at that moment, but I believed, that four of them had actually retired. Of course, I cannot know what changes take place in various Departments from day to day; but I meant to convey to the Committee that the Government intended to give effect to the recommendations of the Committee, and I stated distinctly that as vacancies occurred they would not be filled up.