§ 15. Mr. PikeTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made since May 1997 in664W making magistrate appointments in the county palatine more representative of the communities they serve. [124279]
§ Marjorie MowlamIn my Directions for Advisory Committees in the Duchy of Lancaster there is a requirement that each Bench should broadly reflect the community it serves. We have been consulting on whether this result is best achieved by retaining the separateness of Duchy appointments or linking the system with the rest of England and Wales by transferring the power to appoint to the Lord Chancellor. As a result of this consultation, I have decided to see how we can more closely align with the system run by the Lord Chancellor on the principles of openness and transparency, while still retaining the local link through the Duchy, which many in the Duchy area value highly. I have asked a Committee involving representatives of the Duchy and the Lord Chancellor's Department to examine this question and report to me.