§ Mr. BurnettTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many courts have(a) been due for closure and (b) closed in each of the last four years; and what estimate he has made of the costs saved by each closure. [114732]
§ Jane KennedyThe number of magistrates courts assessed by local Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) as due for closure is: 1996–20, 1997–24, 1998–25, 1999–8. The number of courts closed is: 1996–20, 1997–22, 1998–24, 1999–8. The Government's policy is that magistrates courts are best managed locally by MCCs, and that decisions and costings concerning the number of magistrates courts in its area are for the MCC to determine. The cost saving achieved by the closures is not collected centrally.
The Chief Executive of the Court Service has supplied the following information.
Since 1 March 1996 to date, public consultation on the question of closure has been authorised in respect of 37 county courts, of which 25 have been closed or amalgamated.
The number of county courts closed in each of the last four years since 1 March 1996 is: 1996–7, 1997–8, 1998–6, 1999–2. Two county courts have been closed to date since 1 January 2000.
383WThe financial savings to the Court Service are chiefly in terms of rent and accommodation charges, running costs such as telephone, postage, and maintenance of buildings. Figures on all the savings accruing from county court closures since 1996 are not kept centrally by the Court Service. However, a broad conservative estimate of accommodation charges saved and general running costs would indicate a minimum saving of around £3,000,000 over the four year period since March 1996. During the period there were no Crown court closures, actual or contemplated.