§ 70. Sir JOHN SPEARasked what was the amount of salary and fees paid by the Treasury to the Attorney- and Solicitor-General respectively for the year 1911?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe salaries of the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General are £7,000 and £6,000 a year respectively, and the fees paid to them for contentious business in the financial year ended 31st March, 1912, were approximately £4,700 and £2,900 respectively.
§ Sir J. SPEARIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is the greatest dissatisfaction with the system of payment by salaries and fees; and will he induce the Government to fix an adequate salary and do away with fees?
§ Sir A. MARKHAMIs it not the fact that the fees paid to those two Gentlemen are about half the amount they earned before they accepted the positions?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI believe that is so. There was a long controversy, and many systems have been tried, but I think this is found to be the most satisfactory.
§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the sum he has stated is economical, and that in the last year of the Boer war the Law Officers of the Crown divided a sum of £31,000 between them?
§ Mr. MASTERMANIt is perfectly true the new system devised many years ago has resulted in a large reduction.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSAre the fees settled by counsel themselves, and is this the only instance where the counsel settle their own fees?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe fees are settled by the Treasury. I know that to be the fact.