§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the resignation of magistrates' court clerks and their subsequent employment by the Crown prosecution service; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenRepresentations have been received from justices' clerks and others about losses of court clerks, especially those qualified as solicitor or barrister, and some of these have made particular reference to staff leaving for employment in the Crown Prosecution Service. I understand that figures collected by the joint negotiating committee for magistrates' courts staff indicate that 19 court clerks left the magistrates courts service to take up posts in the Crown Prosecution Service in the year ending 31 March 1988. This represents 1.5 per cent. of the complement of approximately 1,250.