§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many probate sub-registries there were in(a) each county in Wales and (b) Wales as a whole in each year since 1993; and what his estimate is of the number in 1997. [6449]
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansThe question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Elfyn Llwyd, dated 9 January 1996:
The Parliamentary Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question about probate sub-registries.The probate service consists of District Probate Registries, Probate Offices and Probate Sub-Registries.60WThe number and type of probate offices located in Wales has not changed since 1993 and is as follows:
Type of office Town County District probate registry Cardiff Mid Glamorgan Probate office Bridgend Mid Glamorgan Probate office Pontypridd Mid Glamorgan Probate office Newport Gwent Probate office Rhyl Clwyd Probate office Wrexham Clwyd Probate office Aberystwyth Dyfed Probate office Haverfordwest Dyfed Probate office Swansea West Glamorgan Probate sub-registries Bangor Gwynedd Probate sub-registries Carmarthen Dyfed The Court Service is currently consulting interested parties on the proposed closure of some Probate Sub-Registries and will begin public consultation in the new year on those probate offices also recommended for closure. The final decision on the proposed closures will be made by the Lord Chancellor following those consultations. It is therefore not possible at this stage to estimate the number of Probate Sub-Registries and probate offices in 1997.