HL Deb 09 February 1994 vol 551 cc126-7WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, before the Committee stage of the Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill, they will publish—

(a) the papers provided for Managing Corporate Direction: A Course for Managers in the Magistrates' Courts Service, referred to in The Observer newspaper on 23rd January 1994;

(b) the proposed standard terms of fixed term contracts for magistrates' courts administrators;

(c) the proposed criteria for measuring the performance of magistrates' courts administrators in determining their performance related pay.

The Lord Chancellor (Lord Mackay of Clashfern)

The training course was one of a series run by the Civil Service College at the request of senior managers in the magistrates' courts service. It dealt with strategic management and forward planning in the public sector and how they relate to the magistrates' courts service. I have arranged for a copy of the course papers to be placed in the Library.

The Government announced on 2 February that it would seek to amend the Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill to the effect that all decisions about the contractual terms under which justices' clerks will be employed, including the use of fixed term contracts and performance related pay, would rest with the employing magistrates' courts committees. If the amendments are accepted, it will be for the employing committees to develop their own terms and criteria should they decide to introduce fixed term contracts or performance related pay for their staff.