§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Attorney-General how many clerical staff in Birmingham county court have resigned in each month of the current financial year.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe number of staff that have resigned in each month of the current financial year is as follows:
Number April 4 May 2 June 3 July 5 August 6 September 11 October 5 Total 36
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Attorney-General how many staff the unit value attached to Birmingham county court indicates should be in post, by grade; and how many are presently in post.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe number of staff allocated to individual courts is not determined on the basis of unit values.
Each circuit is allocated an authorised level of staff and the number and grade then allocated to each court is based on relative workloads.
273WThe authorised staff ceiling of 180 for Birmingham county court has been maintained at or very close to that figure.
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the time taken at Birmingham county court to process correspondence and to obtain hearings.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThere are no records kept on the time correspondence, including letters requesting hearings, takes to process. Requests to issue summonses, warrants, divorce petitions and for judgment to be entered are dealt with within five days. Over recent months it has been difficult to deal with all items of correspondence within a reasonable time although it is understood that any matters requiring urgent appointments are being appropriately dealt with. Action has been put in hand to deal with the arrears as quickly as possible.
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Attorney-General what at the latest convenient date was the number of(a) casual and (b) relief staff, by job title or group, employed at Birmingham county court.
§ The Attorney-General(a) Casual Staff
As of 1 October 1989, the number and grade of casual staff employed at Birmingham county court were:
Number Administrative Officer 2 Administrative Assistant 4 Support Grade Band 2 1 The average number of casuals employed during August and September was 15.
(b) Relief Staff
Between three and five relief staff at AO level have been provided by other courts since late July. A further relief team of six AOs and a team leader will be working at Birmingham from 16 October for one month.
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Attorney-General what at the latest convenient date was the number of items of outstanding correspondence awaiting attention at Birmingham county court; and what was the position one and two years earlier.
§ The Attorney-GeneralAt 17 October 1989 there were approximately 11,600 items of correspondence awaiting action. There were no significant arrears of correspondence in either of the previous years.
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Attorney-General what on average is the time taken to deal with routine correspondence at Birmingham county court; and what was the position one and two years ago.
§ The Attorney-GeneralNo measure of the average time taken to deal with correspondence is kept. There were no significant problems in general terms in either of the two previous years.
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Attorney-General whether he will detail the current staff ceiling, broken down by grade, at Birmingham county court; and what was the position one and two years earlier.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe information requested is set out in the table. Staff ceilings are set annually, and reviewed at least quarterly by group managers.274W
October 1987 1988 1989 Grade 7 1.0 1.0 1.0 SEO 2.0 2.0 2.0 HEO 8.0 8.0 8.0 EO 21.0 21.0 21.0 AO 95.0 96.0 87.0 AA 24.0 21.0 16.0 Paperkeeper 15.0 16.5 16.0 Typing manager 1.0 1.0 1.0 Typist 13.0 15.0 12.5 Telephonist 1.0 1.0 1.0 Usher 6.0 5.5 5.5 Security 6.0 6.0 6.0 Messenger 2.0 3.0 3.0 Totals 195.0 197.0 180.0
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Attorney-General whether he will quantify the amount of(a) "targeted" and (b) "non-targeted" work currently undertaken at Birmingham county court; and what was the workload one and two years earlier.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe information is not kept in the form requested. The total workload of the county court measured by unit values for the financial years 1986 to 1989 was:
Unit values March 1986–87 461,440 March 1987–88 478,083 March 1988–89 453,795 September 1989 493,448 The figures show a 8.7 per cent. increase in workload between March and September 1989.