HC Deb 17 June 1997 vol 296 cc112-6W
Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of(a) the additional costs to defendants following the proposed closure of Ripon Liberty magistrates court resulting from (i) travel to and from Harrogate court and (ii) the possible increase in the number of adjournments and (b) the additional time spent by defendants (1) travelling and (2) waiting; and what assessment he has made of the difficulties defendants and witnesses living in outlying townships would face in reaching Harrogate court by public transport in time for the start of business. [3724]

Mr. Hoon

None. Magistrates' courts are provided by the local paying authority for the use of the magistrates' courts committee (MCC). Closure decisions are for the MCC to determine, although a contributing local authority may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against a proposed closure. The procedure for such appeals is set out in section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. In the absence of an appeal the Lord Chancellor has no locus in the matter.

Whilst a consultation process has been undertaken on possible closures, North Yorkshire MCC has made no determination to close any courts, at this time.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average number of cases listed for hearing in the criminal court at Ripon on a Wednesday in the past year; and what proportion involved defendants living within the current Ripon Liberty petty sessional division. [3728]

Mr. Hoon

The information requested is not available in its entirety and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, in a survey carried out throughout some of North Yorkshire's rural courts in October and November 1996, 62 per cent. of the 99 criminal cases completed at Ripon involved defendants who lived in the Ripon Liberty PSD. There are no statistics available to show the average number of cases which were listed.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many townships are covered by the Ripon Liberty petty sessional division. [3719]

Mr. Hoon

There are only two "townships" in the Ripon Liberty PSD: Ripon (population c. 15,500) and Pately Bridge (population 2,000).

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the additional costs to magistrates following the proposed closure of Ripon Liberty magistrates court resulting from(a) travel to and from Harrogate court and (b) adjournments resulting from defendants failing to appear; and what assessment he has made of the additional time magistrates would spend travelling. [3723]

Mr. Hoon

None. Magistrates' courts are provided by the local paying authority for the use of the magistrates' courts committee (MCC). Closure decisions are for the MCC to determine, although a contributing local authority may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against a proposed closure. The procedure for such appeals is set out in section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. In the absence of an appeal the Lord Chancellor has no locus in the matter.

Whilst a consultation process has been undertaken on possible closures, North Yorkshire MCC has made no determination to close any courts, at this time.

Average sitting hours per courtroom and percentage change in Ripon Magistrates' court and North Yorkshire
1993 1994 1995 1996
Hours/courtroom Hours/courtroom Percentage change over last year Hours/courtroom Percentage change over last year Hours/courtroom Percentage change over last year
Ripon Magistrates Court 139 144 4 269 87 257 -5
North Yorkshire MCC 361 371 3 400 8 418 5

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of defendants appearing at Ripon court were local in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what was the equivalent figure for courts in North Yorkshire as a whole. [3729]

Mr. Hoon

Figures for a full year are not readily available as these are not routinely collected. A substantive answer may only be produced at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the additional costs to the police following the proposed closure of Ripon Liberty magistrates court resulting from travel to and from Harrogate court(a) as witnesses and (b), pursuant to executing warrants. [3715]

Mr. Hoon

None. Magistrates' courts are provided by the local paying authority for the use of the magistrates' courts committee (MCC). Closure decisions are for the MCC to determine, although a contributing local authority may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against a proposed closure. The procedure for such appeals is set out in section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. In the absence of an appeal the Lord Chancellor has no locus in the matter.

Whilst a consultation process has been undertaken on possible closures, North Yorkshire MCC has made no determination to close any courts, at this time.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the impact of closure of Ripon court on applicants seeking emergency powers in family proceedings. [3727]

Mr. Hoon

None. Magistrates' courts are provided by the local paying authority for the use of the magistrates' courts committee (MCC). Closure decisions are for the MCC to determine, although a contributing local authority may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against a proposed closure. The procedure for such appeals is set out in section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. In the absence of an appeal the Lord Chancellor has no locus in the matter.

Whilst a consultation process has been undertaken on possible closures, North Yorkshire MCC has made no determination to close any courts, at this time.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what were(a) the average sitting hours per courtroom and (b) the percentage change in those hours at Ripon magistrates court during the period 1993 to 1996; and what were the equivalent figures for magistrates courts in North Yorkshire as a whole. [3731]

Mr. Hoon

The information is given in the table.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many townships within Harrogate district are not in the Ripon Liberty petty sessional division; and what consideration is being given to extending Ripon Liberty petty sessional division to cover nearby townships. [3718]

Mr. Hoon

Four townships, from the area covered by Harrogate Borough Council, do not lie within the Ripon Liberty PSD.

Decisions on proposed PSD boundary changes are made by the Lord Chancellor pursuant to an application from the relevant MCC. Whilst a consultation process has been undertaken with a view to amending some boundaries locally, no final decision has been made and my Department holds no application for change at this time.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the annual cost of paying for clerks to travel from Ripon to Harrogate following the closure of the administration office at Ripon court. [3722]

Mr. Hoon

The annual cost of paying home to work mileage allowance to the two members of staff whose posts were transferred to Harrogate, since the Ripon Magistrates' Court Office closed in September 1995, has been in the region of £2,000.00.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the additional costs to the legal aid system following the proposed closure of Ripon Liberty magistrates court resulting from (a) travel to and from Harrogate court by Ripon solicitors, (b) the possible increase in the number of adjournments, (c) solicitors having to spend additional time travelling, (d) increased waiting time for solicitors and (e) defendants' costs. [3726]

Mr. Hoon

None. Magistrates' courts are provided by the local paying authority for the use of the magistrates' courts committee (MCC). Closure decisions are for the MCC to determine, although a contributing local authority may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against a proposed closure. The procedure for such appeals is set out in section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. In the absence of an appeal the Lord Chancellor has no locus in the matter.

Whilst a consultation process has been undertaken on possible closures, North Yorkshire MCC has made no determination to close any courts, at this time.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the cost of running Ripon Magistrates Court as a percentage of the North Yorkshire Magistrates Court Committee's total budget for buildings in the last financial year; and what is the estimated figure for the present financial year. [3730]

Mr. Hoon

No figures are collected nationally on the running costs of individual magistrates courts buildings. The North Yorkshire Magistrates' Courts Committee estimate that the premises running costs of the Ripon Courthouse for 1996–97 were £6,200 or 1.6 per cent. of total premises running costs.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much money he estimates would be saved by the closure of Ripon Liberty Magistrates Court. [3716]

Mr. Hoon

I have made no estimate. Magistrates' courts are provided by the local paying authority for the use of the magistrates' courts committee (MCC). Closure decisions are for the MCC to determine, although a contributing local authority may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against a proposed closure. The procedure for such appeals is set out in section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. In the absence of an appeal the Lord Chancellor has no locus in the matter.

Whilst a consultation process has been undertaken on possible closures, North Yorkshire MCC has made no determination to close any courts, at this time.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the additional costs to the Crown Prosecution Service following the proposed closure of Ripon Liberty Magistrates Courts resulting from(a) travel to and from Harrogate Court, (b) the possible increase in the number of adjournments and (c) additional time spent travelling. [3714]

Mr. Hoon

None. Magistrates' courts are provided by the local paying authority for the use of the magistrates' courts committee (MCC). Closure decisions are for the MCC to determine, although a contributing local authority may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against a proposed closure. The procedure for such appeals is set out in section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. In the absence of an appeal the Lord Chancellor has no locus in the matter.

Whilst a consultation process has been undertaken on possible closures, North Yorkshire MCC has made no determination to close any courts, at this time.

Mr. Curry

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the projected future costs of compensating clerks who have been moved from Ripon to Harrogate for home to work travel expenses following the proposed closure of Ripon Court. [3808]

Mr. Hoon

I have made no estimate. Magistrates' courts are provided by the local paying authority for the use of the magistrates' courts committee (MCC). Closure decisions are for the MCC to determine, although a contributing local authority may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against a proposed closure. The procedure for such appeals is set out in section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. In the absence of an appeal the Lord Chancellor has no locus in the matter.

Whilst a consultation process has been undertaken on possible closures, North Yorkshire MCC has made no determination to close any courts, at this time.