§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the membership of the County Committee for Cheshire indicating the home towns of the members and the bench on which they sit, and if he will list the county and magistrates' courts that the Committee is considering for closure. [115030]
§ Jane KennedyThere are five members on the Cheshire Magistrates Courts Committee. Miss Baines and Mr. Darby, who sit on the Ellesmere Port & Neston Bench, reside in Neston; Mr. Fletcher, who sits on the Chester Bench, resides in Chester; Mrs. Mackenzie, who sits on the South Cheshire Bench, resides in Holmes Chapel; and Mr. Robinson, who sits on the Macclesfield Bench, resides in Altrincham.
Decisions on the future of magistrates courts are for the Cheshire Magistrates Courts Committee to determine, after consultation with the paying authority.
At present, no formal determination has been made by the Cheshire Magistrates Courts Committee to close any of its magistrates courts. However, the Committee recently consulted on proposals for the closure of the Park Green Court in Macclesfield and the Patten Hall Court in Warrington. The closing date for representations was 29 February 2000. The Committee proposes to make a final decision at its meeting scheduled for 17 March.
316WProposals for the closure of a county court are not the responsibility of the Magistrates Courts Committee. They are dealt with by the Court Service.