§ Mr. Roseasked the Attorney-General how many staff, including all full time judges, circuit and administrators and their staffs, have been in posts at Crown courts in each of the last five years; and how this compares with the numbers prior to the implementation of the Beeching Report.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe total number of circuit judges on 1st April 261W in each of the last five years was as follows:
1972 … … … … 278 1973 … … … … 308 1974 … … … … 314 1975 … … … … 329 1976 … … … … 336 For the numbers of staff, including circuit administrative staff, during that period, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 2nd July.—[Vol. 914, c. 349].
It is not practicable to make any valid comparison with the situation as it existed before 1st January 1972, when the Crown court came into existence. Before that date most courts of quarter sessions were presided over by part-time judges and such courts were administered by the local authorities. There was no unified administrative court service before the changes which were made following the Beeching Report.