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Crown Courts

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the cost in 2000–01 was of (a) the maintenance of each of the Crown courts in England and (b) administering each of the Crown courts in England; and what the average cost per case heard was of each of the Crown courts in 2000–01. [50693]

Mr. Wills: [pursuant to his reply, 29 April 2002]: The table submitted with the answer was included in error. I apologise for this error. The attached table correctly sets out the information requested.

Property number	Property name	Total maintenance costs (£)	NIA (sq.m.)	Cost per sq.m. (£)
233	Nottingham Combined Court	136,814.87	3,225.37	42.42
100	Chichester Combined Court	64,511.85	1,577.75	40.89
783	Newport (Isle of Wight) Combined Court	39,189.97	1,012.76	38.70
465	Portsmouth Combined Court	214,394.88	7,070.41	30.32
633	Taunton Combined Court	66,342.29	2,374.06	27.94
555	Plymouth Combined Court	79,320.47	2,902.23	27.33
611	Doncaster Crown Court	68,025.49	2,534.61	26.84
700	Warrington Combined Court	70,505.39	2,698.16	26.13
715	Hove Trial Centre	64,396.73	2,490.71	25.85
636	Manchester Crown Court	185,145.33	7,247.61	25.55
653	Bristol Crown Court	201,599.60	8,371.4	24.08
719	Preston Combined Court	216,269.95	9,193.9	23.52
243	Hereford Crown Court	11,680.74	513.05	22.77
232	Coventry Combined Court	91,018.66	4,152.07	21.92
556	Southampton Combined Court	108,348.83	5,080.92	21.32
551	Exeter Combined Court	55,543.17	2,630.51	21.11
710	Bournemouth Combined Court	119,860.20	5,691.58	21.06
666	Wood Green Crown Court	115,554.00	5,568.3	20.75
740	Woolwich Crown Court	160,975.00	7,950.79	20.25
690	Stafford Combined Court	92,346.95	4,568.98	20.21
129	Cambridge Crown Court	10,303.75	514.86	20.01
157	Warwick Combined Court Office	12,147.47	611.87	19.85
38	Snaresbrook Crown Court	253,546.00	13,004.51	19.50
43	Lewes Combined Court	87,337.98	4,523.97	19.31
560	Gloucester Crown Court	28,606.70	1,486.34	19.25
182	Lincoln Crown Court (Castle)	25,413.28	1,321.54	19.23
33	Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court	93,660.00	4,906.28	19.09
231	Birmingham Crown Court	122,406.88	6,488.59	18.86
709	Lincoln Combined Court	31,883.77	1,699.18	18.76
186	Oxford Combined Court Centre	93,152.63	4,966.46	18.76
168	Great Grimsby Combined Court	58,461.99	3,162.94	18.48
96	Kings Lynn Crown Court	9,704.49	527.8	18.39
162	Shrewsbury Crown Court	26,783.23	1,466.97	18.26
230	Worcester Crown Court	81,511.35	4,468.71	18.24
237	Derby Combined Court	80,341.16	4,475.67	17.95
229	Peterborough Combined Court	54,430.53	3,051.16	17.84
42	Maidstone Combined Court	143,435.91	8,119.31	17.67
34	Ipswich Crown Court	25,194.86	1,433.6	17.57
597	Weymouth and Dorchester Combined Court	8,771.74	500.52	17.53
16	Chelmsford Crown Court	106,293.07	6,125.62	17.35
21	Norwich Combined Court	88,302.86	5,228.97	16.89
688	Luton Crown Court	77,083.31	4,633.88	16.63
737	Blackfriars Crown Court	127,207.00	7,805.25	16.30
768	Kingston upon Thames Crown Court	153,011.00	9,395.03	16.29
187	Leicester Crown Court	94,066.71	5,792.98	16.24
676	Northampton Combined Court	84,883.44	5,269.62	16.11
373	York Crown Court	35,787.79	2,224	16.09
461	Chester Crown Court	61,469.38	3,833.35	16.04
619	Manchester Crown and County Courts	259,673.85	16,260.13	15.97
460	Knutsford Crown Court	17,444.33	1,100.48	15.85
31	Reading Crown Court	90,752.91	5,734.06	15.83
687	Harrow Crown Court	100,506.00	6,485.3	15.50
566	Truro Combined Court	55,645.92	3,592.2	15.49
659	Kingston upon Hull Combined Court	87,631.98	5,737.81	15.27
691	Stoke on Trent Combined Court	83,409.32	5,461.51	15.27
567	Swindon Combined Court	39,873.18	2,632.84	15.14
640	Newcastle upon Tyne Combined Court	174,699.74	11,657.19	14.99
806	Gloucester Combined Court	24,645.00	1,742.32	14.14
673	Basildon Combined Court	76,931.58	5,441.07	14.14
124	Guildford Crown Court	45,461.00	3,275.07	13.88
649	Wolverhampton Combined Court	86,925.15	6,396	13.59
293	Bolton Combined Court	55,192.01	4,190	13.17
136	Aylesbury Crown Court	10,144.61	775.42	13.08
716	Bradford Combined Court	129,061.56	9,983.17	12.93
329	Leeds Combined Court	172,813.17	13,371.19	12.92
294	Burnley Combined Court	31,732.93	2,457.06	12.92
349	Newcastle upon Tyne Combined Court Offices	21,404.75	1,673.18	12.79
332	Durham Crown Court	21,104.79	1,653.93	12.76
22	Croydon Combined Court	99,754.95	7,985.32	12.49
717	Carlisle Combined Court	49,576.03	3,985.8	12.44
4	Southwark Crown Court	137,407.00	11,103.31	12.38
299	Liverpool Combined Court	280,152.05	23,275.37	12.04
711	Sheffield Combined Court	125,096.88	10,884.96	11.49
105	Southend Crown Court	8,256.96	749.72	11.01
5	Isleworth Crown Court	50,101.00	5,023.36	9.97
553	Salisbury Combined Court	32,707.77	3,281.13	9.97
671	Canterbury Combined Court	59,737.73	6,157.68	9.70
634	Preston Crown Court	27,627.32	2,924.53	9.45
658	Teesside Combined Court	106,031.48	12,500.81	8.48
728	St. Albans Crown Court	33,402.41	4,305.56	7.76
562	Winchester Combined Court	38,488.31	7,028.89	5.48
503	Weymouth and Dorchester Combined Court Offices	4,191.77	936.41	4.48
185	Warwick Combined Court	5,631.51	1,315.08	4.28
269	Lancaster Crown Court	5,744.85	1,568.41	3.66
130	Bury St. Edmunds Crown Court	2,284.61	715.33	3.19
48	Central Criminal Court	39,320.90	17,174.41	2.29
	Total	6,927,609.96	434,430.16	15.95

22 May 2002 : Column 415W

Royal Family

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what her policy is on the release of papers from the Public Record Office relating to the royal family; how these rules differ according to whether the relevant member of the royal family is (a) alive and (b) dead; and what considerations as to the potential embarrassment caused by a release of papers apply in respect of (i) living and (ii) dead members of the royal family. [55741]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to him on 14 May 2002, Official Report, column 593W. It is for the originating Government Department to determine the release of papers relating to the royal family, wherever they are held. The policy under which this is conducted derives from the Open Government Code, which applies in the same way to public records relating to the royal family as it does to other public records. One of the Open Government criteria under which records may remain closed beyond 30 years covers documents whose release would cause 'substantial distress' either to an individual or to descendants of the individual. The inclusion of "descendants" means that the criterion may apply whether the relevant individual is alive or dead. Under the Open Government Code, 'potential embarrassment' is not a factor in determining closure or release.

Euro Conversion Costs

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment she has made of the (a) cost (b) new equipment needed and (c) modifications needed to existing IT software to adapt to entry to the Euro for (a) the Court Service, (b) magistrates courts, (c) freedom of information, (d) data protection and identity services, (e) the Land Registry, (f) CAFCASS, (g) the Public Guardianship Office, (h) the Public Record Office, (i) the Northern Ireland Court Service, (j) the Statutory Compilations Office and (k) community legal services. [33631]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor's Department its NDPBs and sister Departments have carried out initial assessments of the business areas that

22 May 2002 : Column 416W

would be affected on entry to the Euro, but are not in a position to provide the level of information requested, at this stage. Where appropriate, work is planned to assess the estimated time, cost and impact of conversion to Euro compliance for existing financial systems. However, where financial systems are being or will be upgraded or renewed in the near future, an assessment of Euro compliance is being made as part of the process.

Marriage and Relationship Support

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what support was given to this year's National Marriage Week by her Department. [47581]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I apologise for the delay in replying, which was due to an administrative oversight. National Marriage Week 2002 was supported through the grant of £31,500 paid to Oasis Media (the PR company employed by Futureway Trust) to launch National Marriage Week. Oasis Media and Futureway have also received advisory support and guidance from officials in the Lord Chancellor's Department.

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