§ Mr. HawkinsTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates courts have closed since May 1997. [87644]
§ Yvette CooperDecisions about magistrates court closures are made by independent Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs). MCCs are not required by statute to inform the Government of court closures.
The best information indicates that the number of court closures is as follows:
Number 1996 21 1997 121 1998 25 1999 7 2000 13 2001 33 2002 5 1Five before May and 16 after May. Details are in the following table:
915W
Date Bromley (South Street) 28 February 1996 Mansfield (Commercial St) 28 February 1996 Hornsea 31 March 1996 Howden 31 March 1996 Market Weighton 31 March 1996 Old Street 12 July 1996 Halstead 31 August 1996 Biddulph 30 September 1996 Cheadle 30 September 1996 Kidsgrove 30 September 1996 Tonbridge 31 October 1996 Amlwch 31 December 1996 Colwyn Bay 31 December 1996 Bedale 31 December 1996 Blaenau Festiniog 31 December 1996 Easingwold 31 December 1996 East Dereham 31 December 1996 Ingleton 31 December 1996 Leyburn 31 December 1996 Llangollen 31 December 1996 Thirsk 31 December 1996 916W
Date Ellesmere Port 31 March 1997 Hampstead 31 March 1997 Marylebone (185 Marylebone Rd) 31 March 1997 Otley 31 March 1997 Seaham 31 March 1997 Bromsgrove 31 May 1997 Ledbury 31 May 1997 Hebburn 5 June 1997 South Shields (Kepple Street) 5 June 1997 Chippenham (Market Place) 30 June 1997 Ashton under Lyne (Manchester Rd) 31 August 1997 Duckinsfield 31 August 1997 Thorne 31 August 1997 Pontardawe 9 October 1997 Braintree 31 December 1997 Stokesley 31 December 1997 Clacton on Sea 31 October 1997 Bargoed 31 December 1997 Monmouth 31 December 1997 Pontlottyn 31 December 1997 Pontypool 31 December 1997 Malton 6 February 1998 Marlborough Street 31 March 1998 Bishop's Stortford 31 March 1998 Hatfield 31 March 1998 Hitchin 31 March 1998 Market Rasen 31 March 1998 Chertsey 31 March 1998 Farnham 31 March 1998 Oxted 31 March 1998 Lutterworth 31 July 1998 Ripon 1 August 1998 Barnard Castle 31 December 1998 Clerkenwell 31 December 1998 Sheerness 31 December 1998 West Mailing 31 December 1998 Lytham 31 December 1998 Diss 31 December 1998 Corwen 31 December 1998 Felixstowe 31 December 1998 Haverhill 31 December 1998 Saxmundham 31 December 1998 Stowmarket 31 December 1998 Newmarket 31 December 1998 March 31 December 1998 Saffron Walden 31 December 1998 Christchurch 31 March 1999 Abingdon 31 March 1999 Henley on Thames 31 March 1999 Windsor 31 March 1999 Morley 31 March 1999 Pudsey 31 March 1999 Stow on the Wold 30 June 1999 Apmthill 1 January 2000 Biggleswade 1 January 2000 Dunstable 1 January 2000 Leighton Buzzard 1 January 2000 Lichfield 31 March 2000 Keighley 1 April 2000 Keswick 30 April 2000 Windermere 31 May 2000 Wigton 31 May 2000 Appleby 31 May 2000 Gravesend 9 June 2000 Wootton Bassett 2 October 2000 Abergele 31 December 2000 Alfreton 1 January 2001 Ashboume 1 January 2001 Bakewell 1 January 2001 Matlock 1 January 2001 Leigh 31 March 2001 Middleton 31 March 2001 Leek 31 March 2001 Worcester 31 March 2001
Date Warrington Patten Hall 1 April 2001 Macclesfield Park Green 1 April 2001 Bideford 30 April 2001 Exmouth 30 April 2001 Kingsbridge 30 April 2001 South Molton 30 April 2001 Teignmouth 30 April 2001 Tavistock 30 April 2001 Axminster 4 May 2001 Tiverton 4 May 2001 Newquay 30 June 2001 Southampton (Commercial Road) 31 August 2001 Womborne 1 September 2001 Gillingham 30 September 2001 Bridlington 9 November 2001 Brough 9 November 2001 Driffield 9 November 2001 Hull (Guildhall) 9 November 2001 Hull (Lowgate) 9 November 2001 Pocklington 9 November 2001 Withernsea 9 November 2001 Evesham 1 November 2001 Droitwitch 1 November 2001 Arundel 1 December 2001 Bridgenorth 31 January 2002 Leominster 31 January 2002 Fakenham 1 May 2002 Tunbridge Wells 2 June 2002 Beaconsfield 1 July 2002 Buckingham 1 July 2002 Fakenham 1 May 2002 Tunbridge Wells 2 June 2002 Beaconsfield 1 July 2002