§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will undertake a feasibility study into constructing a new county court building adjacent to the Shrewsbury Crown and Magistrates Courts. [32411]
§ Mr. HoonThere are no plans to undertake a feasibility study into building a new county court in Shrewsbury. For a number of years the cost of construction has prevented us from building purpose-built county courts. Instead the Department has investigated alternative methods of meeting our requirements, dependent on the availability of local accommodation.
§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the level of unused capacity at Shrewsbury County Court. [32412]
§ Mr. HoonThe two judge's chambers are unused for 50 per cent. of the available time. No Circuit Judge sits at the court, but the one courtroom is used occasionally by district judges.