§ Mr. ConnartyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what recent discussions he has had with the courts administration on the time taken to process orders from the Scottish courts through the English court system; and if he will make a statement. [25471]
§ Mr. WillsNo recent discussions have taken place on this issue. Orders from all courts outside England and Wales, including Scottish orders, are registered at the Royal Courts of Justice within 48 hours of receipt. It is then a matter for the solicitors in the case to choose the method of enforcement. The speed at which this is done is in the hands of the solicitors. As all warrants from courts outside England and Wales are registered together, a special exercise would need to be conducted to calculate the time taken to process orders from Scottish courts. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.