§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Attorney-General how many trusts have been handled by the Public Trustee on an annual basis from 1970 to the latest available date.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe number of cases under administration, on the dates shown, were:
31st March 1970 12,305 31st March 1971 11,910 31st March 1972 11,601 31st March 1973 10,952 31st March 1974 10,348 31st March 1975 9,759 31st December 9,447
§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Attorney-General what is the annual cost of administration of the Public Trustee from 1970 to the latest date available.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe annual cost of administering the Public Trustee Office in the years ended 31st March 1970 to 1975 was as follows:
£ 1970 1,024,880 1971 1,246,921 1972 1,426,801 1973 1,451,438 1974 1,563,741 1975 2,013,437
§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Attorney-General what is the value of trusts administered by the Public Trustee from 1970 to the latest date available.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe total value of the trusts under administration by the Public Trustee was approximately as follows:
£ million 31st March 1970 235 31st March 1971 210 31st March 1972 305 31st March 1973 270 31st March 1974 160 31st March 1975 175 31st December 1975 not available The portfolio of each trust is valued in detail every third year, and that valuation is used for the succeeding years as the basis for calculating the administration fee charged by the Public Trustee in relation to that trust. The above figures 585W are approximations based on the last triennial valuations—1st October 1968, 1st October 1971 or 1st October 1974, as approximate—adjusted in the light of current indices.
§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Attorney-General how many staff were employed by the Public Trustee for the years 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975, respectively.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe number of staff employed in the Public Trustee Office was as follows:
31st March 1970 578 31st March 1971 545 31st March 1972 565 31st March 1973 532 31st March 1974 501 31st March 1975 518 31st December 1975 465
§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Attorney-General what proportion of the Public Trustee's business was executor-ships on both a volume and value basis in 1970 and 1975.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralOn 31st March 1970 and on 31st March 1975 approximately 40 per cent. and 35 per cent, respectively, of the number of cases under administration were executorships. The values of these proportions are not available, and it would require a disproportionate expenditure of time and effort to extract this information.
§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Attorney-General what was the basis of the fees charged by the Public Trustee in 1970 and in 1975.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe Public Trustee is required by Section 9(4) of the Public Trustee Act 1906 to charge fees at rates to produce an annual amount sufficient to discharge the salaries and other expenses of running his office.