§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the adequacy of Government funding to meet the reasonable needs and requirements of magistrates courts in rural Wales.
§ Mr. John PattenAccount has been taken of the concerns expressed during extensive consultations this 433W year on the cash limits arrangements about the special needs of magistrates courts committees with courts in rural areas. The arrangements were revised following the consultations so that in each year a proportion of total grant available for the service is allocated using a sparsity factor. In 1992–93 £0.1 million is reserved for magistrates courts in Wales in this way. The 1992–93 cash limit on current grant support for the Powys magistrate courts provides for expenditure of £573,385, including a sparsity allocation of £43,832, as against forecast equivalent 1991–92 expenditure of £491,770 an increase of 16.6 per cent.