HL Deb 24 July 1984 vol 455 c164

2.57 p.m.

The Lord President of the Council (Viscount Whitelaw)

My Lords, I beg to move that the Lord Chancellor's Salary draft Order 1984 be approved.

The purpose of this order is to set the level of the salary payable to the Lord Chancellor with effect from 31st July and 1st November this year. The reason for dealing with the Lord Chancellor's salary separately from those of other Ministers is that the Lord Chancellor is not only a Minister but also the head of the judiciary and Speaker of your Lordships' House. The Top Salaries Review Body recommended last year that the Lord Chancellor's salary should be rather higher than that of the Lord Chief Justice. The Government accept that recommendation and set the differential at £2.000. The salaries of the Lord Chief Justice and other judges are now being increased in two stages to bring them up to the levels recently recommended by the Top Salaries Review Body. The purpose of the order before your Lordships is simply to keep the Lord Chancellor's salary in step maintaining the differential of £2,000 over the salary of the Lord Chief Justice.

The order has been reported on by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments in its 35th Report, and I commend the order to the House.

Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 12th July be approved.—(Viscount Whitelaw.)

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, the House will be grateful to the noble Viscount the Leader of the House for explaining the background to this order. The noble Viscount referred to the characteristics of the office of Lord Chancellor which distinguishes the Lord Chancellor from other Ministers. I am sure that the noble and learned Lord would agree that his tenure of his office is nothing if not distinctive. Of course, we recognise that we are dealing with a unique office which combines the headship of the judiciary and a very senior position in the Cabinet. It is this unique quality which led the review body under the chairmanship of the noble Lord. Lord Plowden, to recommend this special treatment of the Lord Chancellor. I only hope that the time is not too far distant when my noble and learned friend Lord Elwyn-Jones may inherit a largess which was previously denied to him.

On Question, Motion agreed to.

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