§ Mr. Oakesasked the Attorney-General when the statutory committee on the fixing of revised county courts costs last met; what were its conclusions; and when it will meet again.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe County Court Rule Committee, which is the statutory body responsible for prescribing the scales of costs to be allowed in the county court, last met on 25th April, 1969. It considered draft new scales prepared by the Lord Chancellor's Office, which were estimated to produce the overall increase of about 55 per cent. in solicitors' remuneration for county court work recommended by the National Board for Prices and Incomes in its report of 31st January, 1968 (Cmnd. 3529). It also considered scales proposed by the Law Society, which it was calculated would have produced an increase of just over 100 per cent. The majority of the Committee came to the conclusion that, relying on its general knowledge and experience and the information then available to it, the scales prepared by the Lord Chancellor's Office would provide fair and reasonable remuneration to solicitors.
No date has been fixed for the next meeting of the Committee. I anticipate that it will take place after the Board first reports under the Order (S.I. 1969/299) requiring it to keep the remuneration of solicitors under continuous review. The Board has been asked in the first instance to investigate and report 314W on all changes in the revenue, expenses and profits of solicitors since the period covered by its previous report and the effect, if any, of such changes on the recommendations in that report.