§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of Stale for the Home Department if he can say approximately how many additional stipendiary magistrates would be required in order to establish in England and Wales a complete system of stipendiaries?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLIt would be impossible to estimate beforehand the number of stipendiary magistrates who would be required to do the work now done by the unpaid justices. Much would depend on how far country cases and cases from small towns could be brought into the larger towns; but in any case the number would amount to several hundreds.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODIn view of the difficulty of obtaining justice at some of these local benches, would not it be well for the Government to make inquiry as to the cost of appointing stipendiary magistrates?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI do not think I should like to commit myself to further inquiries on a subject of this sort on such short notice.