HC Deb 18 December 1997 vol 303 cc251-2W
Mr. Bob Russell

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates serve on the active list of(a) the Harwich and (b) the Tendring petty sessional divisions. [20586]

Mr. Hoon

16 magistrates serve on the active list of the Harwich Petty Sessional Division and 30 magistrates serve on the Tendring Petty Sessional Division.

Mr. Bob Russell

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates serve on the active list of the Colchester Petty Sessional Division; how many live within the Division; and how many live in the Colchester constituency. [20588]

Mr. Hoon

There are 84 magistrates on the active list of the Colchester Petty Sessional Division. 78 live within the Division; 34 live within the area of the Colchester constituency and a further 25 live within the area of the adjacent constituency of North Essex.

Mr. Bob Russell

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consultations his Department has had on the amalgamation of the Colchester, Harwich and Tendring magistrates benches; and if he will make a statement. [20587]

Mr. Hoon

My Department has not undertaken, or taken part in, any consultations on the proposed amalgamation.

Section 33 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997 provides that a magistrates' courts committee may submit to the Lord Chancellor a draft order proposing changes to the petty sessional divisions, or PSDs, in its area. Section 34 of the Act requires a magistrates' courts committee to consult all the magistrates of the affected benches and relevant paying authority, before the Lord Chancellor may consider any application for change under section 33.

I can confirm that an application to reorganise a number of PSDs in Essex, including Colchester, Harwich and Tendring, was received from Essex MCC on 17 November 1997.