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4 Dec 2002 : Column 887W—continued

Polling Hours

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to extend the polling hours for local referenda. [85204]

Mr. Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to do so.

Regional Assemblies

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultation is planned prior to referendums on regional assemblies. [85393]

Mr. Leslie: On 2 December, the Government launched a soundings exercise on the level of interest in each English region (outside London) in holding a referendum about establishing an elected regional assembly. We are asking for views, information and evidence from people in each region, including local authorities, MPs, MEPs, regional chambers and others. Responses are requested by 3 March 2003.

This soundings exercise will inform the Secretary of State's consideration of the level of interest in each English region in holding a referendum about establishing an elected regional assembly. Level of interest will be the primary factor in determining which regions will undergo a local government review by the Boundary Committee. Such a review, which must be carried out in a region before a referendum on establishing elected assemblies can be held, will recommend the most appropriate unitary local

4 Dec 2002 : Column 888W

government structure for those parts of the region that currently have both a county and district council, should an elected assembly be established for the region.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Boundary Review

Mr. Luff: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if she will make a statement on progress with reviewing (a) the boundaries of local authorities in England and (b) the boundary between Wychavon and the City of Worcester. [84169]

Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.

No reviews of the boundaries between principal local authorities have taken place recently and we have no plans for such reviews to take place in the immediate future, except as part of any local government review required before a referendum in a region for an elected regional assembly. There is therefore no boundary review taking place between the district of Wychavon and the city of Worcester.

The electoral commission have recently completed electoral reviews of the district of Wychavon and the city of Worcester-these reviews are of the electoral arrangements within the boundaries of the district and the city.

County Court Summonses

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) writs and (b) county court summonses were issued in each year since 1997. [84899]

Yvette Cooper: Figures for the number of civil proceedings commenced both in the High Court and county courts since 1997 are provided in the following table.

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
High Court Chancery Division	38,360	37,428	37,281	37,333	37,034
High Court Queen's Bench Division	121,446	114,984	72,161	26,876	21,613
County Court	2,208,878	2,245,324	2,000,337	1,871,923	1,739,090

High Court Judges (Appointments)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the high court judges the Lord Chancellor has appointed since 1997. [84900]

Ms Rosie Winterton: High Court Judges are appointed by The Queen on the recommendation of my noble and learned Friend, the Lord Chancellor.

Since the Lord Chancellor took office, on 2 May 1997, 57 High Court Judges have been appointed on his recommendation. Their names, together with the Division of the High Court to which they were assigned, and the date of their appointment are listed as follows:

Name	Division	Appointed
The hon. Mr. Justice Sullivan	Queen's Bench Division	1 October 1997
The hon. Mr. Justice Hughes	Family Division	1 October 1997
The hon. Mr. Justice Park	Chancery Division	3 November 1997
The hon. Mr. Justice Penry-Davey	Queen's Bench Division	12 November 1997
The hon. Mr. Justice Pumfrey	Chancery Division	24 November 1997
The hon. Mr. Justice Richards	Queen's Bench Division	1 December 1997
The hon. Mr. Justice Charles	Family Division	12 January 1998
The hon. Mr Justice David Steel	Queen's Bench Division	19 January 1998
The hon. Mr. Justice Hart	Chancery Division	24 January 1998
The hon. Mr. Justice Gray	Queen's Bench Division	1 October 1998
The hon. Mr. Justice Klevan	Queen's Bench Division	1 October 1998(33)
The hon. Mr. Justice Bratza	Queen's Bench Division	30 October 1998
The hon. Mr. Justice Burton	Queen's Bench Division	23 November 1998
The hon. Mr. Justice Jackson	Queen's Bench Division	12 January 1999
The hon. Mr. Justice Bodey	Family division	12 January 1999
The hon. Mrs. Justice Hallett DBE	Queen's Bench Division	14 April 1999
The hon. Mr. Justice Elias	Queen's Bench Division	4. May 1999
The hon. Mr. Justice Aikens	Queen's Bench Division	6 May 1999
The hon. Mr. Justice Black DBE	Family Division	4 October 1999
The hon. Mr. Justice Silber	Queen's Bench Division	3 December 1999
The hon. Mr. Justice Goldring	Queen's Bench Division	3 December 1999
The hon. Mr. Justice Crane	Queen's Bench Division	11 January 2000
The hon. Mrs. Justice Rafferty DBE	Queen's Bench Division	21 February 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Grigson	Queen's Bench Division	19 April 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Gibbs	Queen's Bench Division	19April 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Henriques	Queen's Bench Division	19 April 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Tomlinson	Queen's Bench Division	2 May 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Munby	Family Division	22 May 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Andrew Smith	Queen's Bench Division	19 July 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Stanley Burnton	Queen's Bench Division	19 July 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Lawrence Collins	Chancery Division	28 September 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Hunt	Queen's Bench Division	28 September 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Pitchford	Queen's Bench Division	28 September 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Coleridge	Family Division	28 September 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Patten	Chancery Division	2 October 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Leveson	Queen's Bench Division	23 October 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Ouseley	Queen's Bench Division	2 November 2000
The hon. Mr. Justice Etherton	Chancery Division	11 January 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice McCombe	Queen's Bench Division	11 January 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Jack	Queen's Bench Division	11 January 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Owen	Queen's Bench Division	15 January 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Mackay	Queen's Bench Division	24 January 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Mitting	Queen's Bench Division	3 April 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Roderick Evans	Queen's Bench Division	23 April 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Davis	Queen's Bench Division	1 October 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Gross	Queen's Bench Division	1 October 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Keith	Queen's Bench Division	2 October 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Cooke	Queen's Bench Division	2 October 2001
The hon. Mr. Justice Field	Queen's Bench Division	15 January 2002
The hon. Mr. Justice Hedley	Family Division	15 January 2002
The hon. Mr. Justice Pitchers	Queen's Bench Division	16 January 2002
The hon. Mr. Justice Peter Smith	Chancery Division	15 April 2002
The hon. Mr. Justice Treacy	Queen's Bench Division	1 October 2002
The hon. Mr. Justice Simon	Queen's Bench Division	1 October 2002
The hon. Mr. Justice Royce	Queen's Bench Division	21 October 2002
The hon Mrs. Justice Cox DBE	Queen's Bench Division	4 November 2002
The hon. Mr. Justice Fulford	Queen's Bench Division	21 November 2002

⁽³³⁾ Died 26 December 2001

4 Dec 2002 : Column 889W

Magistrates

Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will reimburse actual lost pay of lay magistrates, rather than a sum based on average earnings; and if he will make a statement. [84723]

Yvette Cooper: The Financial Loss Allowance is based on average earnings and is paid from cash limited budgets of the Magistrates' Courts Committees allocated from public funds granted by my Department with the concurrence of Her Majesty's Treasury. This method is considered the most equitable way of striking a balance to cover the differing trades and professions within the magistracy.

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what training and support is given to individuals taking up magistrates posts. [84587]

4 Dec 2002 : Column 890W

Yvette Cooper: Training of magistrates is the responsibility of Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) who are required to work within a framework approved by the Lord Chancellor. Under the Magistrates National Training Initiative, the Lord Chancellor requires MCCs to follow the training syllabus produced by the Judicial Studies Board.

The JSB syllabus requires newly appointed magistrates to attend a series of training sessions covering the essential aspects of magisterial work including 'The Obligations of the Judicial Oath', 'Bail', 'Mode of Trial', 'Evaluation of Evidence', 'Verdict and Sentencing'. It is also expected that magistrates make at least one visit to a local court and to a penal institution.

A newly appointed magistrate is supported during his or her first two years of sitting by an experienced and trained magistrate acting as a mentor.

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