§ Queens Recommendation having been signified—
§ Motion made, and Question proposed,
§ That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to prevent non-British subjects being prohibited from becoming or practising as solicitors ; to amend the Solicitors Acts 1957 to 1965 ; to make further provision as to the administration of oaths and taking of affidavits, removal from and restoration to the roll of solicitors, the powers of The Law Society to intervene in a solicitor's practice and the termination of a solicitor's retainer ; and for connected purposes, it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of such fees and allowances for the lay members of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal constituted under the said Act as the Lord 1534 Chancellor may, with the approval of the Minister for the Civil Service, determine.—[Mr. Fox.]
§ Mr. Michael English (Nottingham, West)There can be no reason to exclude from this resolution provision to pay the lay observer and to include provision to pay the lay members of the disciplinary tribunal, except to exclude the one from the scope of the Bill and to include the other within its scope so that if the resolution is passed we shall not be able to discuss the lay observer in Committee. Does the Solicitor-General challenge that assumption? Is not that what the resolution means?
§ The Solicitor-General (Sir Michael Havers)The case has been put three times and I give the answer for the third time. It is the Government's intention that the proposals for lay observers should be extra-statutory, experimental and open to change as requirements provide.
§ Question put and agreed to.