§ 30. Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many probate service offices will be closed following implementation of the report on the structure of the probate service. [515]
Mr. John M. TaylorI cannot comment at this stage, because the recommendations contained in the report to which the hon. Gentleman refers are the subject of an extensive public consultation exercise that does not close until 21 December.
§ Mr. CunninghamAs the Minister cannot answer the question, will he tell me when the cuts in the legal aid system will stop? Legal aid has been cut and the probation service has been cut. There is now the threat of cuts to the probate service. When will this stop?
Mr. TaylorThe probate service believes that the proposed closures strike the right balance between meeting the needs of customers and ensuring that the service is run in the most efficient and economical way. New probate offices will be established in place of almost all probate sub-registries.