| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
HMS Cambridge
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out his proposals for the future of HMS Cambridge, near Plymouth. [111254]
Mr. Spellar:
Following the cessation of shore-based live firing training from HMS Cambridge due to increased use of computer simulation, my Department has been undertaking a detailed study into the future of the establishment. I have not yet received advice on
7 Mar 2000 : Column: 654W
the findings of the study and have taken no decisions about the future of HMS Cambridge, but hope to be in a position to do so in the next few months. Any decision will be subject to formal consultation in the usual way.
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many questions to his Department tabled for written answer on a named day during the session 1998-99 were answered (a) on the named day, (b) within one week of a named day, (c) within one month of a named day, (d) within three months of a named day and (e) after three months of a named day. [106480]
Dr. Moonie:
During the Session 1998-99, 1,004 questions were tabled to my Department for written answer on a named day. Of this total, 552 were answered on the named day, 834 were answered within one week of a named day, 983 were answered within one month of a named day and 994 were answered within three months of a named day. All 1,004 were answered after three months.
Court Closures and Amalgamations
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many, and which (a) county courts and (b) magistrates courts in England and Wales have been closed since 1 February 1994, indicating the date of each closure; how many and which justices benches in England and Wales have been amalgamated since 1 February 1994, indicating the date of each amalgamation; what were the financial savings achieved by the above closures and amalgamations, identifying the effect in financial terms for the relevant police force, legal representation costs and witness expenses. [112772]
Jane Kennedy: Lists of (a) county court and (b) magistrates court closures, and (c) justices bench amalgamations are as set out.
(a) The list of county court closures and the following paragraph have been supplied by the Chief Executive of the Court Service. Fifty-five county courts in England and Wales have been closed or amalgamated since 1 February 1994. The financial savings to the Court Service are in terms of rent and accommodation charges, running costs such as staff salaries, telephone, postage, maintenance of buildings and judicial expense. There have been no savings in financial terms in respect of police forces as this is not relevant to the county courts. The Lord Chancellor does not keep statistics on what representation costs or witness expenses may have been saved through county court closures. Precise figures on all the savings accruing from county court closures since 1994 are not specifically kept by the Court Service. However, a broad conservative estimate of accommodation charges saved and general running costs would indicate a minimum saving of £6,000,000 over the six year period.
(b) Eighty-one magistrates courts have been closed in England and Wales since September 1995.
Magistrates courthouses are owned or leased by the paying authority on behalf of the magistrates courts service. They are not Crown property. The Lord Chancellor's
7 Mar 2000 : Column: 655W
Department has conducted an annual survey of magistrates courthouses since 1995, but holds no records prior to that date.
7 Mar 2000 : Column: 656W
7 Mar 2000 : Column: 658W
7 Mar 2000 : Column: 659W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |