§ Mr. BoatengTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many courts in England and Wales provide induction loop systems for people with hearing impairments; and what steps his Department has taken to raise awareness in the courts of the special needs of dual-sensory-impaired people. [17117]
§ Mr. StreeterThere are 40 courts in the Court Service with induction loop or infra-red systems for people with hearing impairments. Our records do not enable us to identify separately how any magistrates courts have induction loop systems, but we have provided grant funding to allow at least 50 courts to have induction loop or infra-red systems for people with hearing impairments.
Through various building guides and published standards, we have made staff, local authorities and magistrates courts committees aware of the features to be included in new buildings and, subject to building constraints and funding availability, in older buildings, to meet the requirements of disabled people. Training courses for all new managers in the Court Service include sessions on disability awareness and managers are expected to raise these issues among their staff. Each court has customer liaison officer who is available to help disabled court users. The Court Service is currently producing an action plan to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Under section 22A(6) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979, all magistrates court committees are required to have regard to the needs of court users who are disabled in discharging their responsibilities for the administration of the magistrates courts. My officials are currently working, in collaboration with a variety of disability organisations, on the production of a good practice guide covering disabled court users which is aimed at magistrates courts committees. The aim of the guide is to raise awareness in the magistrates courts of the special needs of all court users with disabilities. The guide will be published later in the year.