HC Deb 03 March 1998 vol 307 cc539-40W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Attorney-General how many barristers on the panels for common law and chancery work are(a) women and (b) from the ethnic minorities. [31514]

The Attorney-General

The number of women on the panels is as follows:

Panels Number
Common Law panel 0
Chancery panel 0
Common Law supplementary panel 13
Directors disqualification panel 9
Provincial panel 3
Total 25

There are currently no data available in relation to how many of the banisters on these panels are from the ethnic minorities.

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Attorney-General how many banisters are on the panels he uses for common law and chancery work; and how they are selected. [31515]

The Attorney-General

I maintain five panels of banisters for common law and chancery work. They are as set out.

Panels Number
Common Law panel 11
Chancery panel 10
Common Law supplementary panel 72
Directors disqualification panel 45
Provincial panel 62
Total 200

Barristers on the panels have been appointed personally by me or my predecessors on the basis of merit, after the Treasury Solicitor's Department or the Government department concerned initiated inquiries and prepared recommendations.