§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list each magistrates court that has closed in the last two years, broken down by(a) parliamentary constituency and (b) date of closure. [155954]
§ Mr. LeslieThe responsibility for the number and location of magistrates courts in England and Wales falls to individual Magistrates' Courts Committees (MCCs) to determine, in consultation with their local paying authority. A paying authority that is aggrieved by a determination of an MCC has the right to appeal under section 56(3) of the Justice of the Peace Act 1997 to the Secretary of State for Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) within one month of receipt of the written notice of determination.
However, MCCs are not required by statute to inform the Department of proposed courthouse closures that are not subject to an appeal. The following table shows the closures of magistrates courts in England and Wales in 2002 and 2003 compiled from the information that is available to my Department:
535W
Court Parliamentary constituency Date of closure Bridgenorth Ludlow 31 January 2002 Leominster Leominster 31 January 2002 Fakenham North Suffolk 1 May 2002 Tunbridge Wells Tunbridge Wells 2 June 2002 Beaconsfield Beaconsfield 1 July 2002 Buckingham Buckingham 1 July 2002 Evesham Mid Worcestershire 30 November 2002 Thame Henley 31 January 2003 Droitwich Mid Worcestershire 21 March 2003
Court Parliamentary constituency Date of closure Machynlleth Meirionnydd Nant Conwy 31 March 2003 Chester le Street North Durham 31 March 2003 Rugeley Cannock Chase 31 May 2003 Lampeter Ceredigion 9 June 2003 Tenby Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
30 June 2003 Camberley Surrey Heath 30 June 2003 Trowbridge Westbury 30 September 2003 Whitchurch North Shropshire 03 October 2003 Long Sutton South Holland and The Deepings
31 October 2003 Caistor Gainsborough 31 December 2003 Horncastle Louth and Horncastle County 31 December 2003