§ Mr. Greg Knightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards the purchase of land, buildings and chattels for use as temporary Crown court accommodation; what criteria are used; and by what means he ensures that public money is not wasted.
§ Sir George YoungLand, buildings and chattels for use as temporary Crown court accommodation are purchased or, as appropriate, leased by my Department sufficient to meet the requirements of the Lord Chancellor's Department. The latter take account of, inter alia, the current and estimated future numbers of Crown court cases in England and Wales and the accommodation and facilities already available. Before additional temporary (or permanent) Crown court accommodation is provided, my Department, in conjunction with the Lord Chancellor's Department, examines fully, with a financial appraisal, the possible options identified for meeting the particular requirement, including the possible use of appropriate accommodation already in Crown ownership.
§ Mr. Greg Knightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of refurbishment of property in Pocklingtons walk, Leicester, to allow the same to be used as temporary Crown court accommodation.
§ Sir George YoungExcluding design costs, the total cost of refurbishment of the property at Pocklingtons walk, Leicester in 1975 and 1976 for use as temporary Crown court accommodation was £185,000.
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§ Mr. Greg Knightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of the acquisition of property in Pocklingtons walk, Leicester, for use as temporary Crown court accommodation.
§ Sir George YoungThe total cost of the lease of the property at Pocklingtons walk, Leicester between 1975, and 1981 for use as temporary Crown court accommodation was £47,000.
§ Mr. Greg Knightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many buildings intended for use as Crown courts are planned to be constructed in each of the next 10 years; and if he will specify the area in which such building is planned and the individual estimated cost thereof.
§ Sir George YoungI shall write to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Greg Knightasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many buildings intended for use as Crown courts are currently in the course of construction; and what is the estimated individual cost thereof.
§ Sir George YoungIncluding joint Crown court and county court schemes, 10 buildings for use in whole or in part for the Crown court are currently in construction. The estimated costs of these buildings, including the cost of site acquisition, are as follows:
£ million Birmingham 7.5 Guildford 4.9 Isleworth 3.0 Manchester (Crown and County Courts) 11.9 Nottingham 5.0 Oxford (Crown and County Courts) 5.9 Peterborough (Crown and County Courts) 3.5 Salisbury 1.8 Southampton (Crown and County Courts) 5.7 Swindon (Crown and County Courts) 2.9