§ 26. Mr. DINGLE FOOTasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the action of the stipendiary magistrate at Merthyr Tydfil in issuing a statement during the recent General Election urging the electors of Carmarthen to support a certain candidate and to reject another candidate; and whether, in view of the undesirability of stipendiary magistrates taking part in political controversy, he will say what action, if any, he proposes to take?
§ Sir J. SIMONI have been in communication with the stipendiary magistrate, who tells me that he wrote a letter 277 in support of a candidate for a constituency outside his magisterial area and this letter appears to have been published in a local newspaper. Although there is no general provision of the law which disqualifies stipendiary magistrates from taking part in Parliamentary elections, it is, I think, generally recognised that they should avoid identifying themselves prominently with party politics, and the stipendiary magistrate in question tells me that he proposes in future to follow this practice.
§ Mr. JAGGERWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether a stipendiary magistrate is a civil servant?
§ Sir J. SIMONNo.
Mr. J. J. DAVIDSONDoes the right hon. Gentleman agree that the practice of employers inserting electioneering material in the pay envelopes of their employes should be dealt with under the Corrupt Practices Act?