§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action has been taken1304W since the publication of Lord Justice Auld's report to assess the value for money provided by individual judges' lodgings; and what action will be taken in respect of judges' lodgings assessed not to provide value for money in line with the recommendation of the Auld report. [72810]
§ Yvette CooperThe overall value for money and cost effectiveness of the Lodgings network is under continual review and has been so since the publication of Lord Justice Auld's report.
In terms of the general administrative efficiencies, of which the hon. Member is already aware, a general cost reduction of approximately £300k p.a. across the network had been expected. The estimate is now that this will rise as far as £400k p.a. These efficiencies include discontinuing the use of the Lodgings at Mold.
As the hon. Member will be aware the Government's White Paper "Justice For All" has now been published which sets out legislative proposals to modernise the criminal justice system. There are many issues connected to the White Paper, including Judges' Lodgings, which are under active consideration. When we have determined the way forward on Lodgings, I will write to the hon. Member with details.
§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the average cost was of running judges' lodgings per night of accommodation provided in the financial year 2001–02. [72808]
§ Yvette CooperThe figures for the financial year 2001–02 are not currently available, but I will write to the hon. Member with the figures as soon as they are.
§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the(a) units of residential accommodation owned or rented by his Department for occupation by judges on circuit, (b) accumulative capital value of the same when last valued, (c) the running costs of maintaining the same for the financial years (i) 2000–01 and (ii) 2001–02 and (d) the number of judges accommodated in the same for each of the above years and the number of nights they were so accommodated. [72809]
§ Yvette CooperA list of the units of residential accommodation owned or rented by the Lord Chancellor's Department for occupation by judges on circuit was supplied in the reply to the hon. Member's question 02/407 on 29 November 2001. The only change to this list is in respect of the Lodgings at Mold, use of which, as the hon. Member is already aware, has been discontinued.
The capital value of the freehold lodging estate was £12.97 million as at September 2001.
The cost of running the judges' lodgings for the year 2000–01 was:
1305WTotal cost—£5.616 millionCost of lodgings (excluding the Treasury capital charge payable on all freehold properties)—£4.814 million.Costs solely attributable to judicial occupation—£2.244 million. The figures for the year 2001–02 are currently not available. Similarly it has not proved possible in the time provided to collate the judicial occupancy statistics requested. I will therefore write to the hon. Member with this information in due course.
§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the average cost was of running judges' lodgings per judge accommodated at each of the individual lodgings in the lodging estate for the financial year 2001–02. [72807]
§ Yvette CooperThe figures for the financial year 2001–02 are not currently available, but I will write to the hon. Member with the figures as soon as they are.
§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the average cost was of running judges' lodgings per judge accommodated in financial years(a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02. [72811]
§ Yvette CooperThe average cost of running judges' lodgings per judge accommodated for the financial year 2000–01 is set out in the table on three bases:
£ Cost per judge accommodated Total Cost of Lodgings 2000–01 61, 047 Cost of lodgings1 2000–01 52,326 Costs soley attributable to judicial occupation 2000–01 24,676 1 Excluding the Treasury capital charge payable on all freehold properties The figures for 2001–02 are not currently available, but I will write to the hon. Member with them as soon as they are.