§ Mr. WATTasked the Lord Advocate whether half of the engrossing clerks in the Sasines Department of the Register House, Edinburgh, were suspended or unemployed from the beginning of August last until November; whether, for weeks immediately prior to August, many temporary extra clerks had been engaged in that Department; and will he say what steps are being taken by the Government to remedy this recurring problem of unemployment in that office?
§ The LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. Alexander Ure)The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative; the answer to the second part is in the affirmative. Endeavours are being made to secure, so far as possible, that the employment of the permanent staff shall be constant throughout the year, but this must always be difficult so long as the most of the conveyancing transactions in Scotland take place at one term in the year.
§ Mr. WATTCan the right hon. and learned Gentleman say who is responsible for the engaging of one set of clerks and the suspending of the other?