§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Attorney-General what action he has taken to control and reduce the payments of legal fees to barristers, legal costs generally and to speed-up legal cases in the courts to save costs; and what successes he has had.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe fees of barristers and solicitors are generally limited, by the system of taxation, assessment and scales of fixed costs, to amounts which are reasonable in all the circumstances. The remuneration of the legal profession is at present being examined by the Royal Commission on Legal Services. A number of procedural and administrative changes are in prospect—for example, in the Criminal Law Bill now before Parliament—with a view to reducing avoidable delay in court proceedings.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Attorney-General to what extent he intends taking action to ensure that the Government's policy of no wage or salary increase exceeding 10 per cent. is applied to the legal profession in general and those on Crown cases in particular.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe fees of self-employed lawyers, whether retained in Crown or other cases, will continue to be subject to the price code. In relation to salaried lawyers, as stated in Cmnd. 6882, the Government urge that general levels of pay settlements should be moderate to secure that the national earnings increase is no more than 10 per cent.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Attorney-General what was the number of staff in the Department of the Law Officers, including the courts and judiciary, who were on 1st July in receipt of salaries and expenses of £135 per week or more.
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§ The Solicitor-GeneralNine staff in my right hon. and learned Friend's Department; 232 full-time staff in the Department of my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor and its associated offices; and 615 holders of full-time judicial office in England and Wales, paid either from the Consolidated Fund or from my noble Friend's Vote.