§ 37. Mr. HendrickTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the progress of the court of protection pilot scheme in Preston. [41551]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe pilot was launched on 1 October 2001. It is testing whether holding Court of Protection hearings locally for contested matters and fund management benefits parties by reducing the time, cost and anxiety involved in attending court. A full evaluation report will be available by the end of April 2002, but early indications are that local hearings will prove to be more convenient to parties, their families and their legal representatives. If successful, the Lord Chancellor will consider extending the scheme to other parts of England and Wales.