§ Mr. John Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consideration he has given to the problems arising at the courthouse at Port Talbot when two benches happen to retire to one retiring room; and whether he is satisfied that this is conducive to the proper dispensing of justice;
(2) whether he will arrange for one of his officials to visit the present magistrates' courthouse at Port Talbot;
(3) how much money it is proposed to spend to repair the existing courthouse at Port Talbot.
§ Mr. MellorThe lack of adequate ancillary facilities at the Port Talbot magistrates' courthouse was accepted in 1978, and forward planning on a replacement courthouse is in progress. It is not possible to say when margins under capital expenditure allocations will enable a building start to be offered.
In the meantime it is understood that the providing authority, West Glamorgan county council, has in mind to carry out repair and maintenance work costing some £50,000, and at the request of the magistrates' courts committee a Home Office official visited Port Talbot on 19 January to see if any help or advice could usefully be given. We have no reason to believe that the sharing of the retiring room, inconvenient on occasion though it may be for the magistrates concerned, can be regarded as impairing the quality of justice at Port Talbot.