Mr. FOOTasked the Attorney-General if his attention has been called to the report of the remarks in the King's Bench Division on 30th March by Mr. Justice McCardie, who stated there was a case in which a sum to be administered by the Public Trustee for an infant was £300, and of that the Public Trustee was entitled to take £45 at once in respect of fees for duties obviously of the most slender character; and whether he will cause inquiries to be made?
§ Sir E. POLLOCKThe maximum fee which can be taken by the Public Trustee in such cases as are presumably referred to by the hon. Member is 15 per cent. Where it appears that the trust is likely to be short in duration and the duties are exceedingly light, the fee will be reduced in proportion, subject to a minimum of 7½ per cent. I do not see any ground upon which inquiries are necessary. The Public Trustee Act requires a fee to be fixed sufficient to cover the expense of administering the trust, and experience has shown that the expense of adminstering trusts of this nature is relatively exceedingly heavy. I am not aware of the grounds on which Mr. Justice McCardie suggested that the duties would obviously be of the most slender character.