§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor will announce the national strategy for the recruitment of lay magistrates. [100464]
§ Yvette CooperMy noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has recently approved the final draft of the National Strategy for the Recruitment of Lay Magistrates and hopes to announce its launch as soon as the financial provisions are in place, which is expected to be next month (April 2003).
The key aims of the strategy are to recruit and retain magistrates from a diverse spectrum of the population, to raise the profile of the magistracy and dispel misconceptions about its make up and entry requirements.