§ 10. Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received about the recruitment and working conditions of magistrates in Bolton. [32613]
§ Mr. FreemanI approved the appointment of 18 persons to the Bolton bench earlier this year, following recommendations from my advisory committee in Bolton. The working conditions of magistrates in Bolton are a matter for my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department.
§ Mr. ThurnhamIs the Chancellor aware of how strongly people in Bolton feel about the need for a new magistrates court? Will he press his colleagues in the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Treasury to give an immediate go-ahead to that important contract, which was so unfairly stopped?
§ Mr. FreemanThe hon. Gentleman refers to the buildings in Bolton that house the magistrates courts, which date from the 1930s. As I understand the situation from the Lord Chancellor's Department, a private finance initiative proposal is on the table. I give my assurance to the hon. Gentleman and to the House that I will investigate the status of that proposal and convey to the Lord Chancellor and to my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary not only the hon. Gentleman's concern but my interest.