§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his policy on the future of(a) magistrates courts and (b) county courts in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [36135]
Mr. John M. TaylorAs far as the future of(a) magistrates courts in Wales is concerned, my policy is the same as that for England. That is, following implementation of part IV of the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994, that magistrates courts will continue to be administered by magistrates courts committees made up mostly, if not entirely, of local magistrates. The powers and responsibilities of magistrates courts committees have been enhanced by the 1994 Act and they now have a clear statutory responsibility to conduct the administration of the magistrates' courts efficiently and effectively. So far as (b) the county courts in Wales are concerned, this is an operational matter for the Court Service. I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.
Letter from Michael Huebner to Mr. Barry Jones, dated 19 July 1995:
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about the future of the county courts in Wales.The Court Service must continually review its network of courts to ensure that the best use is made of resources. Factors taken into account in that process include workload levels, the accessibility of alternative courts and the cost of providing satisfactory standards of service. There is no separate policy on county courts in Wales, which are subject to the same process of individual review and assessment as courts elsewhere.