§ 30. Mr. PondTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Kent magistrates courts committee's approach to consultation with local communities. [109643]
§ Jane KennedyThe Justices of the Peace Act 1997 requires Magistrates Courts Committees to consult with the paying authority when proposing to close a courthouse.
It is for Kent Magistrates Courts Committee to determine the scope of its consultation but Committees are encouraged to consult wider than the statute requires, for example, with magistrates, staff, police, Probation, Crown Prosecution Service and other professional users.
§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the future of magistrates courts in Worcestershire. [109645]
§ Jane KennedyIt is for the Hereford and Worcester Magistrates Courts Committee to determine the future of magistrates courts in both Worcestershire and Herefordshire. This is in consultation with the local paying authorities, the Worcestershire County Council and the County of Herefordshire District Council.