§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Prime Minister how many full-time and part-
Number Remuneration Annual cost £ £ Scottish Law Commission Chairman* 1 16,884 16,884 Commissioners: Full-time 2 11,925 23,850 Part-time 2 5,235 10,470 The Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals Chairman (part-time) 1 2,963 2,963 Members (part-time) 6 — — Advocates Depute 10 9,000 90,000 In addition I have a joint responsibility with my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor in appointing the chair-
Number Remuneration Annual cost £ £ Chairman (part-time) 1 5,795 5,795 Members (part-time) 14 750 6,000† Details of expenses paid are not readily available. * The chairman (Lord Hunter), being the holder of high judicial office, is not remunerated under The Law Commissions Act 1965. He continues to receive his judicial salary, which is paid out of the Consolidated Fund. † One of the 14 members of the Council is the chairman of the Scottish Committee: he receives no remuneration as a member of the Council. Some other members of the Council do not take the amount of remuneration to which they are entitled. Although, as a matter of policy, I keep under review the numbers and costs of the appointments I make, the Law Com-
380Wtime appointments, respectively, are made by him which are not subject to regulation by the Civil Service Commission; what is the total sum paid annually as salary and expenses for such appointments; and if he will take steps to reduce the number of posts.
§ The Prime MinisterThree full-time and some 170 part-time. The current annual total cost of salaries is £27,985. Information about expenses and fees is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Most of these appointments are statutory, and I have no plans to reduce the present number.
§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Lord Advocate how many full-time and part-time appointments, respectively, are made by him which are not subject to regulation by the Civil Service Commission; what is the total sum paid annually as salary and expenses for such appointments; and if he will take steps to reduce the number of posts.
The Lord Advocate: The information requested by my hon. Friend is as follows:
man and members of the Council on Tribunals:
missions Act 1965 regulates the membership of the Scottish Law Commission, and the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1971 381W regulates the number of members to be appointed to the Council on Tribunals and its Scottish Committee. So far as the advocates depute are concerned, the increase in crime makes it impossible to reduce their number.
§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Lord President of the Council how many full-time and part-time appointments, respectively, are made by him which are not subject to regulation by the Civil Service Commission; what is the total sum paid annually as salary and expenses for such appointments; and if he will take steps to reduce the number of posts.
§ Mr. FootI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to him on 24th May 1977.—[Vol. 932, cc.406–7.] The position has not changed since then.
§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Paymaster General how many full-time and part-time appointments, respectively, are made by her which are not subject to regulation by the Civil Service Comission; what is the total sum paid annually as salary and expenses for such appointments; and if she will take steps to reduce the number of posts.
§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many full-time and part-time appointments, respectively, are made by him which are not subject to regulation by the Civil Service Commission; what is the total sum paid annually as salary and expenses for such appointments; and if he will take steps to reduce the number of posts.
§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Attorney-General how many full-time and part-time appointments, respectively, are made by him and by his noble Friend, respectively, which are not subject to regulation by the Civil Service Commission; what is the total sum paid annually as salary and expenses for such appointments; and if he will take steps to reduce the number of posts.
§ The Attorney-GeneralSo far as England and Wales are concerned, I appoint382W standing counsel to the Treasury and Government Departments, of whom two, Mr. H. K. Woolf and Mr. P. L. Gibson, receive as part of their emoluments annual retainers of £4,000 and £2,000 per annum respectively; subject to that, counsel are remunerated on a piecework basis. Details of expenses paid, which rarely arise, are not readily available.
As at 1st June, some 775 full-time office-holders appointed by, or on the advice of, my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor were in post, at an annual cost to central Government funds of approximately £8.6 million for salaries and £537,000 for expenses; and there were about 33,000 in part-time appointments, costing approximately £1.4 million for fees or salary and £439,000 for expenses.
The number of full-time appointments includes 440 members of the judiciary appointed by the Crown on the advice of my noble Friend and paid out of the Consolidated Fund: the salary cost is included in the above figure. The number of part-time appointments includes 927 ad hoc appointments as deputy-judges. It also includes 22,080 justices of the peace in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 4,535 general commissioners of income tax. The annual cost stated excludes that falling on the funds of authorities and Departments other than that of my noble Friend in respect of (a) the lay magistracy and (b) the salaries, fees and expenses of 113 full-time and 2,260 part-time appointments to administrative tribunals, etc.
The number of appointments to be made continue to be kept under review, and my noble Friend and I ensure that there are no more than are needed for the work to be done, consistently with the requirements of the public service and those of the courts and the administration of justice. In many instances, the number is controlled by statute.