§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the number of magistrates' courts. [40384]
§ Mr. WillsThe Government's policy is that decisions on the number and location of magistrates courts in England and Wales are for the individual magistrates courts committees to determine, in consultation with their local paying authorities.
It is for each magistrates court committee to decide how best to deploy its resources in order to fulfil its statutory responsibility to provide an efficient and effective service to court users.