§ 8. Mr. Draysonasked the Minister of National Insurance why part-time magistrates' clerks are regarded as self-employed persons for the purposes of National Insurance contribution.
§ Mr. SteeleI am advised that, in respect of their statutory duties, part-time magistrates' clerks are not under a contract of service, and that in relation to those duties they are self-employed persons. If any such clerk carries out other functions his final classification, however, may depend on the nature and scope of those functions.
§ Mr. DraysonWill the Minister look into this very carefully, because I understand that if a clerk meets with an accident while he is doing his work in court he is not entitled to the usual compensation?
§ Mr. SteeleI should not like to enter into all the legal difficulties of this problem by question and answer on the Floor of the House, but it is proposed to seek discussions with the interested bodies in the hope of establishing facts which would enable a definite conclusion to be reached.