HC Deb 30 April 1964 vol 694 cc726-7
Mr. Brooke

I beg to move, in page 6, line 39, at end to insert: (2) A person shall not be qualified to be appointed a clerk of the peace for a London commission area unless he is a barrister or solicitor of not less than five years' standing. In our proceedings in Standing Committee the hon. Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. C. Johnson) moved an Amendment to require that the clerks and deputy clerks of the peace for Greater London should be barristers or solicitors of five years' standing. My right hon. and learned Friend the Solictor-General gave an undertaking that the Government would accept in principle that this was a proper qualification for the clerks of the peace but we wished to have time to consider the position of the deputy clerks further.

The Government have considered the matter and we wish to carry out our pledge—as we are doing by this Amendment—that a person to be appointed a clerk of the peace for a London Commission area must be a barrister or solicitor of not less than five years' standing. However, we do not feel it is necessary to impose a rigid qualification of this kind for the officer of deputy clerk of the peace. I hope that the House will fel that we have gone some way to meet the suggestion made.

Sir Frank Soskice (Newport)

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for the change. As he says, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. C. Johnson) in Committee sought to have this qualification included in the Bill applying to both the clerks and the deputy clerks of the peace. The Government have gone part of the way and I am sure that my hon. Friend would wish to thank the right hon. Gentleman for such concession as he has been able to make.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Brooke

I beg to move, in page 7, line 13, to leave out "the general fund of ".

Perhaps we might at the same time, Mr. Speaker, consider my Amendment in Clause 37, page 28, line 20.

Mr. Speaker

That appears to be acceptable.

Mr. Brooke

The effect of the main Amendment—to Clause 37—is to make it clear that, when the expenses of the Greater London Council are chargeable only to some of the local authorities in Greater London, it is only those local authorities which will receive the benefit of Exchequer grant on those expenses.

Amendment agreed to.