§ Mr. Weetchasked the Attorney-General whether he will introduce legislation to add Fellows of the Institute of Legal Executives to the categories of persons allowed to prepare deeds of transfer under section 22 of the Solicitors Act of 1974.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe Government are considering the reports of the Royal Commission on Legal Services and the Royal Commission on Legal Services in Scotland and will make its views known when it has completed its consideration of their recommendations.
§ Mr. Weetchasked the Attorney-General how many cases of criminal prosecution have been brought (a) by the police and (b) by the Law Society under section 22 of the Solicitors Act 1974 in each year since the inception of the legislation.
§ Mr. MayhewI have been asked to reply.
Records available to me, which may be incomplete, show that to the end of 1981 two persons were proceeded against under section 22 of the Solicitors Act 1974—one in 1977 and one in 1978; both were found guilty. These records suggest that the prosecution in 1977 was probably brought by the police and that in 1978 was probably not. Information for 1982 is not yet available.