§ MR. STEPHEN COLLINS (Lambeth, Kennington)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the action taken by several standing joint committees with regard to Section 8 of the Justices' Clerks Act of 1877; and whether he will prepare a Return giving the names of the clerks to the licensing justices, distinguishing those who are paid by salary and those who are remunerated by fees, and include with the Return a list of the fees paid in licensing matters to such clerks.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI am not sure that I understand my hon. friend's Question, but I think he is under a misapprehension. Justices' clerks throughout the country are paid by salary, as is required by the Justices' Clerks Act, 1877, not by fees; and the salaries are fixed with regard to the total amount of work they have to do as justices' clerks. I have no information as to circulars issued by standing joint committees, other than that contained in the memorandum my hon. friend has sent me, and with regard to that memorandum I may say that justices' clerks' salaries are certainly not governed by the number of licences in existence. A Return giving 1138 the names and salaries of all magistrates' clerks was prepared in 1904, and can be purchased through the Stationery Office, and I do not think it desirable to go to the trouble and expense of another such Return at the present time. The fees in licensing matters are uniform and statutory, and can be readily ascertained by consulting the Licensing Acts.