§ Mr. GrocottTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the public appointments for which he is responsible(a) in the west midlands region and (b) in Shropshire, indicating in each case the duration of the appointment, the date when a new appointment is due, and the salary.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe Lord Chancellor has 11 advisory committees on justices of the peace and four on general commissioners of income tax in these areas. The main function of these committees is to recommend suitable people to the Lord Chancellor for judicial appointment. The normal period of appointment is six years, so arranged that approximately half the members of a committee retire every three years. Neither chairmen or members of advisory committees receive any remuneration. If the hon. Member would like more detailed information about the membership of any particular committee or committees I should be happy to provide it if he writes to me. This answer does not include appointments which exercise judicial functions.
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§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether his Department organises receptions for those expressing an interest in public appointments for the first time; how often they are held; what is the annual cost; and how many people attend.
Mr. John M. TaylorMy Department has not organised any such receptions. However, in support of the Lord Chancellor's commitment to encourage applications for judicial appointment from suitably qualified women lawyers, the first of what is hoped will be a series of events for women lawyers was held in July at the Bar Council. The purpose of the event, arranged jointly by the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Bar Council and the Association of Women Barristers, was to provide information to women barristers on the opportunities available for appointments to part-time posts within the judiciary. There were no separately identifiable costs to the Department beyond those associated with the manpower involved.