§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Attorney-General on what date the initial period of existence of the Council for Licensed Conveyancers contemplated by sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 3 of schedule 3 to the Administration of Justice Act 1985 will come to an end.
§ The Attorney-GeneralIt is envisaged that the initial period will come to an end on 28 February 1989.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Attorney-General what procedures the Council for Licensed Conveyancers has established for consultation with licensed conveyancers generally and for telling them about decisions taken or rulings made by the council itself and by the committees which it establishes and about action taken in the fulfilment of the general duty of the council, in accordance with subsection (2) of section 12 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Council for Licensed Conveyancers consults groups representing licensed conveyancers. The rules governing the profession and other forms of guidance will be made available to all licensed conveyancers. This action is taken in the fulfilment of the general duty to which the hon. Gentleman refers.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Attorney-General what committees have been established by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers under the power accorded in paragraph 8 of schedule 3 to the Administration of Justice Act 1985.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe council has established an education working group, a licence and practice working group and a financial working group.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Attorney-General who are the members of the discipline and appeals committee established by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers in accordance with the provisions of section 25 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985; and what relevant professional or other qualifications each member has.
§ The Attorney-GeneralCaroline Hutton, practising barrister; Peter Davis, licensed conveyancer; Katherine Foss, chairman of the Insurance Ombudsman Council; Ian Oddy, chartered surveyor, member of the Council of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and chairman of its professional practice committee; Peter Price, licensed conveyancer.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Attorney-General who are the members of the investigating committee established by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers in accordance with the provisions of section 24 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985; and what relevant professional or other qualification each member has.
§ The Attorney-GeneralRachel Waterhouse, Ph D, chairman of the Consumers' Association; Robert King, solicitor, Law Society council member; Phillip Kenny head of law school, Newcastle-upon-Tyne polytechnic.
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§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Attorney-General in what form the Council for Licensed Conveyancers is accountable to(a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) licensed conveyancers.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Council for Licensed Conveyancers is accountable to Her Majesty's Government for the proper use of grants made to it by the Lord Chancellor in pursuance of the council's responsibility to give effect to the relevant provisions of part II of the Administration of Justice Act 1985. The council is responsible for publishing its audited annual accounts and for sending a copy of these, together with any report of the auditors thereon, to the Lord Chancellor.
As to accountability to licensed conveyancers, from 1 March 1988 the Council for Licensed Conveyancers will comprise a majority of licensed conveyancers. After 1 March 1989 members of the council will be elected from among licensed conveyancers.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Attorney-General if he will give particulars of(a) attendance fees, (b) travelling allowances, (c) subsistence allowances and (d) other allowances paid during its first year by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers in exercise of the power accorded to it by paragraph 5 of schedule 3 to the Administration of Justice Act 1985.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe particulars for the first 15 months up to 31 March 1987 are
(a) £16,654; (b) and (c) £8,952; and (d) none.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Attorney-General on what date the Council for Licensed Conveyancers published accounts for its first year of existence; arid by what means copies are made available for hon. Members and others.
§ The Attorney-GeneralAccounts for the first 15 months of the existence of the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (that is up to 31 March 1987) will be published shortly. Copies will be available to all licensed conveyancers on request and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement about the circumstances n which the Council for Licensed Conveyancers conducted a review of the outcome of examinations held by it in July 1987, with the result that a number of candidates who had been notified that they had failed to satisfy the examiners then were later notified that they had passed in papers which they had taken.
§ The Attorney-GeneralRepresentations made following the publication of the results of examinations held in July 1987 led the Council for Licensed Conveyancers to conclude that those results might not give a fair indication of candidates' abilities. The decision to review those results was taken in the knowledge that there would not be a further opportunity for unsuccessful candidates to demonstrate their abilities before they would be precluded, from 1 December 1987, from drawing or preparing a contract in addition to the instrument of conveyance.