§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the total number of magistrates' courts in each region, for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [39116]
§ Mr. Streeter[pursuant to reply, 24 July 1996, c. 340]: The information requested is not collected centrally. Magistrates' courts are locally managed by magistrates' courts committees under the provisions of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979.
The extra time to answer this question afforded by the parliamentary adjournment has allowed officials to contact each of the 100 MCCs, and for the requested information to be collected. The cost of this exercise has exceeded the maximum limit set for answering parliamentary questions.
The information requested is as follows:
828W
Magistrates courts' committee area The number of magistrates courts 1992 to 1996 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Avon 5 5 5 5 5 Barking 1 1 1 1 1 Barnet 2 2 2 2 2 Barnsley 1 1 1 1 1 Bedfordshire 6 6 6 6 6 Berkshire and Oxfordshire 16 15 15 13 13 Bexley 1 1 1 1 1 Birmingham 2 2 2 2 2 Bolton 1 1 1 1 1 Brent 1 1 1 1 1 Bromley 1 1 1 1 1 Buckinghamshire 6 6 6 6 6 Bury 1 1 1 1 1 Calderdale 3 1 1 1 1 Cambridgeshire 8 7 7 7 7 Cheshire 10 10 10 9 10 829W
Magistrates courts' committee area The number of magistrates courts 1992 to 1996 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 City of London 1 1 1 1 1 Cleveland 3 3 3 3 3 Cornwall 9 9 9 9 9 Coventry 1 1 1 1 1 Croydon 1 1 1 1 1 Cumbria 12 12 12 10 10 Derbyshire 13 13 12 12 12 Devon 18 18 18 18 17 Doncaster 2 2 2 2 2 Dorset 12 12 12 11 11 Dudley 3 3 3 3 3 Durham 9 9 9 9 9 Dyfed 15 10 10 10 10 Ealing 2 2 2 2 2 East Sussex 9 4 4 4 4 Enfield 1 1 1 1 1 Essex 13 13 13 13 12 Gateshead 1 1 1 1 1 Gloucestershire 11 11 9 9 9 Gwent 11 11 10 10 9 Hampshire 16 13 12 10 10 Haringey 2 2 2 2 2 Harrow 1 1 1 1 1 Havering 1 1 1 1 1 Hereford and Worcester 10 9 9 9 9 Hertfordshire 10 10 9 9 9 Hillingdon 1 1 1 1 1 Hounslow 2 2 2 2 2 Humberside 17 17 17 17 10 Inner London 20 19 19 19 17 Isle of Wight 1 1 1 1 1 Kent 17 16 16 15 14 Kingston upon Thames 1 1 1 1 1 Knowsley 2 2 2 1 1 Lancashire 16 14 13 13 13 Leeds 5 5 5 5 5 Leicestershire 8 8 8 8 8 Lincolnshire 14 14 14 14 14 Liverpool 1 1 1 1 1 Manchester 1 1 1 1 1 Merton 1 1 1 1 1 Newcastle upon Tyne 2 2 2 2 2 Newham 2 2 2 1 1 Norfolk 11 10 10 10 8 North Tyneside 2 1 1 1 1 North Wales 24 24 24 21 19 North Yorkshire 19 19 18 17 17 Northamptonshire 6 6 6 6 6 Northumberland 6 4 4 4 4 Nottinghamshire 5 5 5 5 5 Oldham 1 1 1 1 1 Powys 6 6 6 6 6 Redbridge 1 1 1 1 1 Richmond upon Thames 1 1 1 1 1 Rochdale 2 2 2 2 1 Rotherham 1 1 1 1 1 Salford 2 2 1 1 1 Sandwell 2 2 2 2 2 Sefton 2 2 2 2 2 Sheffield 1 1 1 1 1 Shropshire 7 7 7 7 7 Solihull 1 1 1 1 1 Somerset 12 6 6 6 6 South Wales 9 9 8 8 8 South Tyneside 2 2 2 2 2 St. Helens 1 1 1 1 1 Staffordshire 15 14 14 13 13 Stockport 1 1 1 1 1 Suffolk 10 10 10 10 10 Sunderland 3 3 3 3 3 Surrey 11 11 10 10 10
Magistrates courts' committee area The number of magistrates courts 1992 to 1996 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Sutton 1 1 1 1 1 Tameside 2 2 2 2 2 Trafford 1 1 1 1 1 Walsall 2 2 2 2 2 Waltham Forest 1 1 1 1 1 Warwickshire 6 5 5 5 5 West Glamorgan 5 5 5 5 5 West Riding Metropolitan 8 8 8 8 8 West Sussex 7 7 7 6 6 Wigan 2 2 2 2 2 Wiltshire 11 6 6 6 6 Wirral 2 2 2 2 2 Wolverhampton 1 1 1 1 1 Total 576 537 526 510 491
§ Mr. CarlileTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates' courts are,(a) administered by an office in a different area, and (b) deal with custody cases in another area; what were the figures five years ago; and if he will make a statement. [39072]
§ Mr. Streeter[holding answer 24 July 1996]: The information requested is not collected centrally. Magistrates' courts are locally managed by magistrates' courts committees under the provisions of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979.
The extra time to answer this question afforded by the parliamentary adjournment has allowed officials to contact each of the 100 MCCs, and for the requested information to be collected. The cost of this exercise has exceeded the maximum limit set for answering parliamentary questions.
Area has been taken to mean petty sessional division and emergency arrangements or Saturday morning rota sittings have not been included.
The information requested follows:
830W
Magistrates court's committee area Magistrates courts administered by an office in a different area Number of courts dealing with custody cases in a different area 1992 1996 1992 1996 Avon — — — — Barking — — — — Barnet — — — — Barnsley — — — — Bedfordshire 4 4 — — Berkshire and Oxfordshire 4 4 — — Bexley — — — — Birmingham — — — — Bolton — — — — Brent — — — — Bromley — — — — Buckinghamshire — — — — Bury — — — — Calderdale — — — — Cambridgeshire 3 4 — — Cheshire 1 — — — City of London — — — — Cleveland — — — — Cornwall 8 6 — — Coventry — — — — Croydon — — — — 831W
Magistrates court's committee area Magistrates courts administered by an office in a different area Number of courts dealing with custody cases in a different area 1992 1996 1992 1996 Cumbria 8 6 — — Derbyshire 2 2 — 1 Devon 4 3 — — Doncaster — — — — Dorset 7 7 — — Dudley 1 1 — — Durham — — — — Dyfed 9 6 — — Ealing — — — — East Sussex 3 — — — Enfield — — — Essex 6 5 — — Gateshead — — — — Gloucestershire 2 2 1 1 Gwent 8 6 10 8 Hampshire — — — — Haringey 1 1 — — Harrow — — — — Havering — — — — Hereford and Worecester 1 1 — — Hertfordshire 5 3 — — Hillingdon — — — — Hounslow — — — — Humberside 11 6 — — Inner London — — — — Isle of Wight — — — — Kent 5 9 — — Kingston Upon Thames — — — — Knowsley — — — — Lancashire 2 4 — — Leeds 4 4 — — Leicestershire 3 5 — 1 Lincolnshire 6 7 — — Liverpool — — — — Manchester — — — — Merton — — — — Newcastle upon Tyne — — — — Newham — — — — Norfolk 3 2 — — North Tyneside — — — — North Wales 9 7 — — North Yorkshire 5 7 — 1 Northamptonshire 5 5 4 4 Northumberland — — — — Nottinghamshire 1 1 — — Oldham — — — — Powus 4 4 6 6 Redbridge — — — — Richmond upon Thames — — — — Rochdale — 1 — 1 Rotherham — — — — Salford — — — — Sandwell — — — 1 Sefton — — — — Sheffield — — — — Shropshire 4 5 — — Solihull — — — — Somerset — 1 — — South Wales 1 1 — — South Tyneside — — — — St. Helens — 1 — — Staffordshire 5 8 — 2 Stockport — — — — Suffolk — — — — Sunderland — — — — Surrey 3 — — — Sutton — — — — Tameside — — — — Trafford — — — — Walsall — — — — Waltham Forest — — — — Warwickshire 2 3 — — West Glamorgan 2 3 — — West Riding
Magistrates court's committee area Magistrates courts administered by an office in a different area Number of courts dealing with custody cases in a different area 1992 1996 1992 1996 Metropolitan — — — — West Sussex 3 2 — — Wigan — — — — Wiltshire 6 1 — — Wirral — — — — Wolverhampton — — — — Total 161 148 21 26 Where a section shows no value the answer was none.