§ 47. Mr. WESTWOODasked the Prime Minister whether he is prepared favourably to consider the transferring of the power to create justices of the peace in Scotland from the Lord Chancellor to the Lord Advocate?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, Sir. Justices of the peace in Scotland have been since 1707 appointed by the Crown by a, special Commission under the Great Seal of Great Britain, and the Royal Commission on the Selection of Justices of the Peace in their report of 1911 recommended that, so long as these appointments are made by the Crown, the Lord Chancellor as Keeper of the Great Seal is the most suitable Minister to be entrusted with the responsibility of advising in the appointments to be made. As at present advised, I see no reason for any alteration in this system.
§ Mr. WESTWOODIs the Prime Minister not aware of the fact that there is dissatisfaction in Scotland with the present arrangement because of the delay in dealing with the question of the appointment of justices of the peace?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIt has worked perfectly well for nearly 230 years, but I will look into the point.