HC Deb 19 July 1995 vol 263 cc1310-3W
Mr. Devlin

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what savings to his Department have accrued as a result of closing county courts since 1992. [35118]

Mr. John M. Taylor

The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Tim Devlin, dated 19 July 1995: The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to the above Question about savings which have accrued as a result of closing county courts since 1992. At present day values the savings on accommodation costs amount to £196,000. There are still five properties in the process of being disposed of. In addition, there have been significant savings in terms of management overheads, maintenance, equipment rental. staff travel and general running costs which I am unable to quantify in the time available.

Mr. Tim Devlin

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list by year, all the county courts upon which consultation for possible closure was issued in each year since 1992. [35114]

Mr. Taylor

The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Tim Devlin, dated 19 July 1995: The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to the above Question about the details of those courts that have been through the consultation process for possible closure since 1992. No separate record is kept of those courts that have been the subject of consultation but which did not proceed to closure. In the majority of cases where consultation has taken place it has led to the closure of the court. This is because any case for closure submitted by a Circuit Administrator must satisfy a series of stringent criteria before the Lord Chancellor will allow it to proceed to consultation. This means that only the strongest cases for closure ever reach the consultation stage.

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all the county courts closed in(a) 1992, (b) 1993, (c) 1994 and (d) 1995 to date. [35113]

Mr. Taylor

The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Tim Devlin, dated 19 July 1995: The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to the above Question about the county courts closed during the years 1992–1995. The county courts closed since 1992 are:

  • 1992
  • Northallerton
  • Maldon
  • Westminster
  • Bloomsbury
  • Gainsborough
  • Great Malvern
  • Beverley
  • 1993
  • East Grinstead
  • Whitby
  • Malton
  • Hexham
  • Thorne
  • 1994
  • Devizes
  • Frome
  • Clacton
  • Sevenoaks
  • Sheerness
  • 1312
  • Sudbury
  • Bangor
  • Stroud
  • Lampeter
  • Liskeard
  • Axminster and Chard
  • Launceston
  • Ellesmere Port
  • Shaftesbury
  • Porthmadog
  • Stockton on Tees
  • 1995
  • Amersham

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the county courts currently being considered for possible closure. [35115]

Mr. Taylor

The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Tim Devlin, dated 19 July 1995: The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to the above Question about county courts currently being considered for closure. Those county courts currently under consideration for possible closure and which are the subject of public consultation, are:

  • Alfreton
  • Ammanford
  • Bargoed
  • Barry
  • Brentwood
  • Cardigan
  • Chippenham
  • Dover
  • Folkestone
  • Gravesend
  • Ilkeston
  • Llandrindod Wells
  • Market Drayton
  • Matlock
  • Newton Abbott
  • Otley
  • St. Austell
  • Sittingbourne
  • Sleaford
  • Spalding
  • Wisbech

Mr. Devlin

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consideration was given to the report of Lord Woolf prior to the decision to close three county courts in Derbyshire. [35111]

Mr. John M. Taylor

The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Tim Devlin, dated 19 July 1995: The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to your Question about what consideration was given to Lord Woolf s report prior to the decision to close three county courts in Derbyshire. I can confirm that no recent decisions have been made to close any county courts in Derbyshire. However, the Lord Chancellor has recently agreed to commence public consultation about the proposed closure of three courts in that County. These courts are at Alfreton, Ilkeston and Matlock. I should emphasise that no decision with regard to any of these proposed closures will be taken until after the public consultation exercise has been completed and responses analysed. Any implications flowing from Lord Woolf's report will be considered before a final decision is taken.