HL Deb 03 September 1998 vol 593 cc46-7WA
Lord Berkeley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 22 July (Official Report, cols. 876–878) on centralising magistrates' courts in Derbyshire, to list for each county—

  1. a) the number of magistrates' courts planned to be closed;
  2. b) the number of new magistrates courts planned to open. [HL3079]

The Lord Chancellor

  1. a) This information is not held centrally and may only be provided at disproportionate cost by contacting each of the 96 magistrates' courts committees in England and Wales; Section 56 of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997 provides that my only role is to decide appeals made to me; thus, if no dispute arises, there is no requirement to inform me of plans to close any magistrates' courts;
    2. WA 47
  2. b) there are five new magistrates' courts planned: one each for Southampton, Hereford, Worcester, Kidderminster and Redditch. All five are replacements of existing facilities. Older buildings will close as a result. My Department is also working on final bids for a further eight courts, including three in Derbyshire.