§ Mr. Nigel EvansTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the number of stipendiary magistrates as a percentage of all magistrates; and what measures are being taken to increase this figure.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe number of authorised stipendiary posts as a percentage of active lay magistrates as at 1 January 1993 was 0.3 per cent. Stipendiary magistrates are appointed by the Lord Chancellor to support lay magistrates where there is a clear need and normally after a request has been made locally. Consideration is being given to seeking parliamentary approval to an increase in the statutory maximum of 40 stipendiary appointments outside the inner London area imposed by section 13(4) of the Justice of the Peace Act 1979 so that further stipendiary appointments can be made to support the lay magistracy as appropriate.
§ Mr Nigel EvansTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what was the number of serving magistrates in each year since 1979.
Country Food Aid (tonnes) Non-Food (£ million) Eritrea 5,000 (Approximately £8.85 million)1 2.0 Ethiopia 13,000 3.5 Kenya 15,000 1.5 Sudan — 3.5 1includes £0.5 million to transport and distribute food in Sudan. This pledge is additional to the £221 million, including 310,000 tonnes of food aid and our share of EC emergency aid, which we have committed for humanitarian relief in the Horn of Africa since the present crisis began in September 1990.