§ Mr. Ronald Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the number of legal draftsmen employed in the Department of the Environment; and what action he proposes to take to increase this number in order to obviate the present delay in introducing agreed amendments to the local government superannuation scheme.
§ Mr. ShoreThere are no legal draftsmen employed as such in my Department. The complement for lawyers employed on a common-service basis in my Department and the Department of Transport is 49. Experience has shown that proficiency in the drafting of Statutory Instruments is best acquired by working in a Government office. Because of the complexity of the subject matter, local government superannuation regulations need to be handled by an experienced draftsman. The small number of lawyers in post who are experienced draftsmen has to be deployed so as to meet all the requirements of both Departments, and at present no additional draftsmen are available for work on local government superannuation. I am operating under manpower constraints and I do not see immediate action open to me which would obviate the present delay in introducing agreed amendments to the local government superannuation scheme.