§ 35. Angela Smith (Basildon)What assessment she has made of the occupations of magistrates. [104963]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Jane Kennedy)As part of achieving social balance on Benches, each local advisory committee is required to ensure that no more than 15 per cent. of the Bench is drawn from a particular occupational group. Returns are made to my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor every year in respect of each Bench.
§ Angela SmithI thank my hon. Friend for that answer, but an individual's occupation and position within that occupation have a direct impact on the individual's ability to have time off work and therefore to serve as a magistrate. Will my right hon. Friend—I am promoting her early—look carefully at the matter and give advice to employers to encourage their employees to take up the role of magistrate, giving them time off work to do so?
§ Jane KennedyI am grateful to my hon. Friend for making that point. Working magistrates are drawn from a wide range of occupations. If that is to continue, it will be important for employers to allow staff time off work to sit as magistrates. It is important, too, that work colleagues understand that time spent away from the workplace is not a skive, but a valuable service to the community. I pay tribute to the many employers who play their part in the criminal justice system by allowing staff to take time to sit as magistrates.