§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the future of the office of chief stipendiary magistrate. [5043]
§ Mr. HoonThe Lord Chancellor hopes shortly to designate one of the metropolitan stipendiary magistrates to be chief metropolitan stipendiary magistrate in succession to Mr. Peter Badge.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if it is his policy to appoint future chief stipendiary magistrates from among existing stipendiary magistrates. [5029]
§ Mr. HoonSection 16(3) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997 requires the Lord Chancellor to designate one of the metropolitan stipendiary magistrates to be the chief metropolitan stipendiary magistrate.