§ Mr. CranstonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what resources the Government intends to provide to ensure adequate judicial training, management administration and technology for the effective implementation of Lord Woolf s proposals. [44133]
§ Mr. HoonThe Judicial Studies Board estimated that it would require £400,000 this financial year to fund the training of the full-time judiciary in the civil justice reforms. The Board also bid for £256,000 in the next financial year to train the part-time judiciary. These sums have been allocated.
The introduction of IT to other areas of administrative work in the civil courts will release staff to support the introduction of the Civil Justice Reforms in April 1999.
The cost of technological support has been provided for in the Court Service's expenditure plans although the exact amounts have yet to be finalised. It is currently involved in negotiations with its IT supplier. I am not prepared to jeopardise those negotiations by disclosing indicative costs.