HC Deb 18 May 1994 vol 243 cc451-2W
Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many amalgamations of magistrates court committee areas he has determined to make; how many committee areas(a) will be affected, and (b) will remain; and if he will list the names of the committee areas that will be affected by each amalgamation.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The White Paper "A New Framework for Local Justice", published in February 1992, announced that the Government would like to see a progressive reduction in the number of separate management units, and that we judged that something between 50 and 60 would in due course provide a good balance between the local character of the service and operational needs. The Lord Chancellor has reached no final conclusions about any specific amalgamations.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all the magistrates court committees that he has consulted about possible amalgamation; and what plans he has to consult other magistrates court committees about amalgamation.

Mr. John M. Taylor

All magistrates courts committees were consulted during 1992 about criteria for magistrates court committee areas and were subsequently consulted on how those criteria could be met in their area. As a result of this, the Lord Chancellor published indicative conclusions as to possible amalgamations, but these do not constitute final decisions. Under the provisions contained in the Police and Magistrates Courts Bill, no order amalgamating or otherwise adjusting the boundaries of a magistrates court committee area could be made without consultation with the magistrates courts committee or committees concerned, except where they themselves had requested that such an order be made.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his oral answer of 18 January,Official Report, column 454, if he will list all the criteria by which he has decided to reduce the number of magistrates court committees.

Mr. John M. Taylor

Any decision to amalgamate or otherwise adjust the boundaries of a magistrates court committee or committees would be taken in the light of local circumstances and against criteria appropriate at that time.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list by year for the last 10 years, and for the year to date, the number of magistrates courts that have been closed.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The provision of magistrates court-house accommodation is a matter for the courts committees for the area concerned in conjunction with the local paying authority. The Department has no central record of the number of magistrates court-houses that have been closed or are scheduled to be closed. A local authority that is aggrieved by a decision of a magistrates court committee to close a court-house has the right of appeal to the Lord Chancellor. Since 1993 the Lord Chancellor has dealt with six appeals and there is currently one appeal outstanding.