asked the Secretary of State for Employment, in the light of the fact that many potential magistrates refuse to forward their names because they feel the loss of time at work will make them potential candidates for redundancy, what safeguards he plans to make the administration of law above such pressures, and to make the Bench representative of society as a whole.

I have no evidence that the holding of the office of magistrate places employees at a disadvantage in their employment. I therefore have no plans to amend the legislation in the way suggested.