§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many hours, and what budgets were allocated, for(a) training of magistrates and (b) training of magistrates clerks on antisocial behaviour orders in each magistrate authority, listed in descending order according to average amount spent on training for magistrates clerks since the introduction of antisocial behaviour orders. [144832]
§ Mr. LeslieThe specific information requested is not collected or held centrally and could be researched and provided in the format requested only at disproportionate cost. Statutory responsibility for the training of magistrates currently rests with the 42 independent Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs).
For magistrates, MCCs generally incorporated Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) training into Bench meetings, new magistrate training days and other meetings or training events. The JSB produced training 766W materials on ASBOs from within existing budgets, and the majority of MCCs report having used these along with their own written guidance notes, which they issued to all magistrates.
Training for magistrates clerks was similarly delivered by most MCCs through regular meetings. Where MCCs provided information about time spent on ASBO issues, between one-and-a-half to two hours had been allocated at meetings, not including preparation and private study by individual clerks and legal advisers.