§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the probate offices which the court service plans to close; and if he will make a statement. [13495]
Mr. EvansThe 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. David Lidington, dated 5 February 1996
PROPOSED CLOSURE OF PROBATE OFFICES
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question about Probate Offices.
The recommendation that a number of Probate Offices should close follows a review of the locations in England and Wales where a probate service is provided to personal applicants. A public consultation about these proposals began on 23 January 1996 and will conclude on 1 March 1996. Full consideration will be given to all comments received during the public consultation before the Lord Chancellor decides whether to proceed with these proposals.
66WThe Probate Offices recommended for closure are:
- Coventry
- Kidderminister
- Wolverhampton
- Lichfield
- Crewe
- Stafford
- Chichester
- Chatham
- Folkestone
- Bath
- Penzance
- Newton
- Abbott
- Colchester
- Lowestoft
- King's Lynn
- Bradford
- Harrogate
- Huddersfield
67 - Wakefield
- Grimsby
- Chesterfield
- Doncaster
- St. Helens
- Southport
- Wallasey
- Barrow
- Oldham
- Stockport
- Warrington
- Wigan
- Derby
- Mansfield
- Morpeth
- Sunderland
- Nelson
- Workington
- Scarborough
- Darlington
- Blackpool
- Durham
- Aylesbury
- Bedford
- Kettering
- Cheltenham
- Worcester
- Basingstoke
- Dorchester
- Salisbury
- Southampton
- Bridgend
- Newport
- Pontypridd
- Rhyl
- Aberystwyth
- Haverfordwest
§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has for probate registries and probate offices to open to the public on Saturdays. [13496]
Mr. EvansThe 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. David Lidington, dated 5 February 1996:
PLANS FOR PROBATE REGISTRIES AND PROBATE OFFICES TO OPEN ON SATURDAYS
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question about probate registries and offices.
There are no plans to open any Court Service offices, including Probate Registries and Probate Offices, to the public on Saturdays.