§ 53. Mr. OLIVERasked the Attorney-General whether, with regard to the composition of the advisory committees appointed for the nomination of suitable persons to serve as justices of the peace, any efforts are being made to make these bodies more representative of the public life of the areas in which they serve?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Sir Thomas Inskip)The Lord Chancellor is re-constituting all advisory committees for the appointment of justices of the peace, and is re-appointing them for 409 fixed terms of office. Provision is made for the automatic retirement of half the members of the committees every three years. My Noble Friend endeavours to appoint members who are representative of all sections of public life in the community when be is re-constituting the committees, and when he is considering the question of re-appointing retiring members. He has every reason to believe that his committees are representative.
§ Mr. OLIVERWhen is it expected that these reconstituted committees will come into existence?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERALThat depends on the time at which each committee comes up for reconstitution.
§ Mr. R. MORRISONWith reference to the statement that a certain number of members of the advisory committee retire automatically every three years, would the learned Attorney-General say whether those members are subject to re-election or whether they retire permanently?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERALMy Noble Friend will have the same powers when the committees are re-constituted at the end of the three years as he has at the beginning—unless, of course, his powers are altered.