§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will list by county the number of magistrates' courts in England 10 years ago, five years ago and today; and how many it is planned that there should be in each county after the current amalgamation and closure programme is complete. [HL1177]
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)The table below shows the number of courthouses in each current Magistrates' Courts Committee area in England and Wales, as reported by the MCCs in surveys conducted by my department in 1995 and 1999. Information prior to 1995 is not available. The current amalgamation programme will reduce the number of MCCs to 42 in 2001. There is no national courthouse closure programme, since the number and location of courthouses within MCC areas remain decisions for each MCC, after consultation locally. I have no role to play in the closure of magistrates' courts, unless there is an appeal against proposed closure.
130WA
Number of Magistrates' Courthourses by MCC Area Magistrates' Courts Committee area, as at 1/4/99 Courthouses open as at 30/9/95 Courthouses open as at 31/3/99 Avon 5 5 Barking and Dagenham 2 2 Barnet 2 2 Barnsley 1 1 Bedfordshire 6 6 Bexley 1 1 Brent 1 1 Bromley 1 1 Calderdale 1 1 Cambridgeshire 6 6 Cheshire 10 9 City of London 1 1 Cleveland 3 3 Croydon 1 1 Cumbria 10 6 Derbyshire 13 13 Devon & Cornwall 25 25 Doncastcr 2 1 Dorset 11 10 Durham 9 7 Dyfed 10 9 Ealing 2 2 East Sussex 4 4 Enfield 1 1 Essex 14 10 Gateshead 2 2 Gloucestershire 9 8 Gwent 13 9 Hampshire 10 10 Haringey 2 2 Harrow 1 1 Havering 1 1 Hereford & Worcester 9 7 Hertfordshire 9 6 Hillingdon 1 1 Hounslow 2 1 Humberside 13 10 Inner London 20 15
Number of Magistrates' Courthourses by MCC Area Magistrates' Courts Committee area, as at 1/4/99 Courthouses open as at 30/9/95 Courthouses open as at 31/3/99 Isle of Wight 1 1 Kent 15 12 Kingston upon Thames 1 1 Lancashire 13 12 Leeds 5 2 Leicestershire 8 7 Lincolnshire 14 13 Manchester 1 1 Merseyside 9 9 Merton 1 1 Newcastle Upon Tyne 2 2 Newham 1 1 Norfolk 10 7 North & West Manchester 7 7 North Tyneside 1 1 North Wales 19 13 North Yorkshire 17 9 Northamptonshire 6 6 Northumberland 4 4 Nottinghamshire 6 3 Oldham 1 1 Powys 6 6 Redbridge 1 1 Richmond upon Thames 1 1 Rotherham 1 1 Sheffield 1 1 Shropshire 7 7 Somerset 6 6 South Tyneside 2 1 South Wales 8 8 Staffordshire 13 10 Stockport 1 1 Suffolk 10 5 Sunderland 3 2 Surrey 10 7 Sutton 1 1 Tameside 2 1 Thames Valley 21 18 Trafford 1 1 Waltham Forest 1 1 Warwickshire 5 5 West Glamorgan 5 4 West Midlands 14 14 West Riding 8 8 West Sussex 6 6 Wiltshire 6 5 Totals 516 436
§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What criteria should determine the number of magistrates' courts in English counties. [HL1178]
§ The Lord ChancellorThere are no specific criteria.
Under the Justice of the Peace Act 1997, Magistrates' Courts Committees are responsible for the provision of an effective service to court users. It is for each committee to determine its own criteria for the number and location of magistrates' courts in its area.
The Government do encourage each committee to take account of new legislation and administrative initiatives.