§ Mrs. LaingTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he intends to take to improve the service to people who require to use the offices of the Probate Registry. [84639]
§ Mr. VazThe Probate Registry regularly carries out customer surveys and has a Group Customer Service Officer to co-ordinate its customer service initiatives and deal with day to day inquiries from probate registry users. In particular, the Probate Registry is launching a National Telephone Number on 25 May 1999, which is to be published in all local telephone directories and on all Probate Service leaflets. This should make it easier for people to get through to the Probate Registry on the telephone.
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§ Mrs. LaingTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people are employed at the offices of the Probate Registry. [84637]
§ Mr. VazThere are 29 staff in the Probate Department of the Principle Registry of the Family Division.
§ Mrs. LaingTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimates he has made of the average time taken to answer a telephone call at the offices of the Probate Registry. [84636]
§ Mr. VazThis information is not collected. However, the Probate Registry aims to answer incoming telephone calls within the Courts' Charter promise of 30 seconds.
§ Mrs. LaingTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the cost of the new office of the Probate Registry in High Holborn. [84638]
§ Mr. VazI am unable to provide a figure for the Probate Registry alone, as the figures available are for the cost of the entire Principal Registry of the Family Division of which the Probate Registry forms part. The annual rent for First Avenue house, High Holborn is £2.3 million and the rates are £524,276. The cost for the furniture and miscellaneous office equipment was £564,768.