§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Prime Minister what steps have been taken to implement Recommendations 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the Report of the Renton Committee on the Preparation of Legislation; what is the present strength of the Parliamentary Counsel Office compared with a year ago; how many newly recruited lawyers are at present under training there; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FootI have been asked to reply.
There are currently 20 full-time draftsmen in the Parliamentary Counsel Office. This compares with 22 on 1st of November 1976. The number on loan to the Law Commission is now seven compared with five on 1st of November 1976.
Consideration has been given to various possibilities for training draftsmen, but there is no present intention to set up a course in legislative drafting. Special attention is paid to letting newly recruited lawyers gain the experience which is essential to their training.
The staffing levels in the Parliamentary Counsel Office are kept under careful consideration and two new recruits were added just over a year ago to another two appointed somewhat earlier.
Consultation on draft Bills with persons outside the Government services occurs frequently and those consulted include specialists on the relevant branches of the law.