§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates courts were operating in the(a) county of Essex and (b) unitary boroughs of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea in (i) 1971, (ii) 1981, (iii) 1991, (iv) 1999 and (v) 2001. [R] [21753]
§ Mr. WillsResponsibility for providing magistrates courthouses falls to local authorities in England and Wales. Neither the Home Office which had responsibility for the magistrates courts service up to 1992, nor the Lord Chancellor's Department which took responsibility over at that time has a central record of courthouses provided locally prior to 1995. I am informed that Essex magistrates courts committee has no records prior to 1995. In 1999 and 2001 there were 10 magistrates courts operating in Essex, with one in each of the unitary boroughs of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea.