HL Deb 03 July 1951 vol 172 cc573-4WA
VISCOUNT TEMPLEWOOD

asked His Majesty's Government whether he has now completed his inquiries into the case of small boroughs that desire to retain their recorders and magistrates' courts, and whether he will give a list of the boroughs in which he has decided to allow or disallow retention.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

I have now completed my inquiries into the cases of those Boroughs which have applied to me for an Order saving their Commissions of the Peace and Quarter Sessions under the provisions of subsection (5) of Section 10 of the Justices of the Peace Act, 1949. In making these inquiries, I have been assisted by a small Committee which I appointed under the Chairmanship of Sir Hartley Shawcross who, at the time of his appointment as Chairman of the Committee, occupied the office of Attorney-General.

I have made an Order in favour of the following Boroughs saving to them the grant of their Commissions and Quarter Sessions:—

Abingdon. Bury St. Edmunds.
Andover. Devizes.
Banbury. Lichfield.
Barnstaple. Newbury.

The following are the Boroughs which were eligible to apply to me for an Order under the Act, and which did in fact apply for such an Order, but in respect of which I have decided that it is not desirable for the grant of the Commission and Quarter Sessions to be saved:—

Berwick-upon-Tweed. Saffron Walden.
Bideford. Sandwich.
Bridgnorth. South Molton.
Carmarthen. Stamford.
Chichester. Sudbury.
Faversham. Tenterden.
Hythe. Tewkesbury.
Ludlow. Thetford.
Maldon. Tiverton.
Oswestry. Warwick.
Richmond (Yorks). Wenlock.
Rye.

I have caused communications to be sent to the Town ClexIss of all the Boroughs which I have mentioned informing them of my decision.

House adjourned at twenty minutes past six o'clock.