§ 91. Mr. COOPERasked if the right hon. Gentleman has offered to reimburse registrars and high bailiffs their contributions under the National Insurance Act as employers, in respect of the staff in their employ in County Courts; and whether this constitutes the State to be the actual employer of this staff; and, if so, will he state if such staff are Civil servants of the State?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe Treasury has agreed to admit in the accounts of registrars and high bailiffs of County Courts the sums paid by them for employer's contribution under the Insurance Act in respect of such of their employés as give their whole time to their duties. This undertaking was given by the Treasury, as it was considered inequitable that a substantial amount of additional expenditure, of which account could not have been taken, when the salaries of the officers or their allowances for clerk hire or process were originally fixed, should fall upon the County Court officers. The position of the employés is in no way affected, for, as heretofore, they will be engaged, paid, 1266 and dismissable at the discretion of the registrars and high bailiffs, and they can in no sense be described as Civil servants.
§ Mr. COOPERArising out of that reply, will the right hon. Gentleman answer the second part of the question, whether this constitutes the State the actual employer?
§ Mr. MASTERMANOh, no; certainly not.
§ Mr. COOPERWhy then is the State to-pay for persons of whom they are not the employers?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThat: is what I tried to explain in the answer.