§ Mr. MullinTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the current average time that elapses between an application to become a magistrate and(a) the interview and (b) the outcome of the interview being made known to the candidate; and if he will make a statement. [48493]
§ Mr. HoonAdvisory Committees on Justices of the Peace normally make recommendations to the Lord Chancellor only once a year. The length of time a candidate must wait, from making an application to being informed of its outcome, depends on when an application is made in relation to the point in the year when recommendations are made. The Lord Chancellor directs his Advisory Committees to keep candidates informed of the progress of their applications at all stages.