Proposal on the Provision of Courts Services in Wales

Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Consultation Paper CP15/10 Published on 23 June 2010 This consultation will end on 15 September 2010

Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

A consultation produced by Her Majesty's Courts Service, part of the Ministry of Justice. It is also available on the Ministry of Justice website at www.justice.gov.uk Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Contents

The HMCS national estates strategy 3 Introduction 5 Magistrates’ courts in Dyfed Powys 7 Magistrates’ courts in Gwent 17 Magistrates’ courts in South Wales 23 Magistrates’ courts in North Wales 32 County courts in Wales 39 Annex A – Map of proposals 47 Questionnaire 49 About you 54 Contact details/How to respond 55 The consultation criteria 57 Consultation Co-ordinator contact details 58

1 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

2 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

The HMCS national estates strategy

HMCS is committed to providing a high quality courts service within a reasonable travelling distance of the communities that use it, while ensuring value for money for taxpayers.

HMCS currently operates out of 530 courthouses – 330 magistrates’ courts, 219 county courts and 91 Crown Court centres.1 However, the number and location of these does not reflect changes in population, workload or transport and communication links over the years since many of them were opened. This has resulted in some courts sitting infrequently and hearing too few cases. Some buildings do not provide suitable facilities for those attending or are not fully accessible for disabled court users. A number of magistrates’ courts do not have secure facilities for prisoners. Other agencies with whom we work across the justice system are also put under strain by the need to work at a number of different courts in the same area.

When public finances are under pressure, it is vital we eliminate waste and reduce costs. This consultation sets out how we believe we can best meet the justice needs of communities in each area and invites comments on whether work from the courts we propose to close could be moved to nearby courts which have sufficient capacity and, in the majority of cases, better facilities. By using these courts more efficiently we hope to save public money while also improving the services we provide for court users.

We are also consulting on the merger of a number of Local Justice Areas which would enable effective changes to courthouse provision. This will facilitate further efficiency savings in administrative work, whilst ensuring that magistrates continue to provide a vital frontline service to the public.

In order to form the proposals in this document the following principles have been followed:  improve utilisation to at least 80%;  provide greater flexibility through co-location of criminal courts and civil courts with tribunal hearing centres;  plan on a long term basis;  integrate developing policy and operational changes into estates planning;  ensure access to courts – enabling the majority of the public to be within a 60 minute commute of their nearest court by public transport;2  ensure the estate supports the challenges of rural access;

1 A number of courts are co-located or in combined centres. 2 With consideration given to those who live in rural communities.

3 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

 wherever possible centralise back office functions;  have specialist facilities in large strategic locations only;  move towards larger courts;  maintain properties at an appropriate level; and  share facilities with the Tribunal Service.

Court users should not have to make excessively long or difficult journeys to attend court, but geographical proximity for all court users should not be the sole (or even primary) concern. Providing people with appropriate access to justice does not necessarily mean providing a courthouse in every town or city. The speed of case outcome, the quality and efficiency of the service we provide, and an environment which commands respect for the justice system and the safety and comfort of court users, are much more significant to the delivery of effective local justice across all communities in England and Wales.

We need to ensure that local communities, including those in rural areas, have access to a court and we seek views on this. At the same time we must be realistic about the frequency with which most people need to visit a court, compared to other services which they use and travel to more regularly such as banks, schools, supermarkets or hospitals.

We need to consider the required courts estate in the context of the falling workload which is being dealt with in a more efficient and timely way as a result of close partnership working between HMCS and the judiciary. At the same time, we have been careful to ensure that there remains sufficient capacity within the remaining courts to accommodate any future increases in workload.

This consultation will take account of all of these factors plus any additional relevant considerations which are put forward during the consultation period.

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Introduction

This paper sets out proposals that will enable HMCS in Wales to provide vital public services at a level that offers real value for money for the taxpayer.

Feedback to the questions set out in the consultation will enable us to ensure that courts remain in the most important strategic locations, that communities continue to have access to courts within a reasonable travelling distance, and that cases are heard in courts with suitable facilities, which will in turn reduce the overall costs. At the same time, we have been careful to ensure that if this model were followed for the magistrates’ courts, there would be sufficient capacity within the remaining magistrates’ courts should there be a decision to increase magistrates’ sentencing powers in the future.

The consultation seeks the views of everyone with an interest in local justice arrangements. The Lord Chancellor will take all views expressed into account before making any decision on which courts ought to be closed and when.

This consultation is being conducted in line with the Code of Practice on Consultation issued by the Cabinet Office and falls within the scope of the Code. The consultation criteria, which are set out on page 57 have been followed.

A preliminary Impact Assessment and an Equality Impact Assessment initial screening have been completed. We will be developing the Impact Assessment during the consultation period.

Copies of the initial Impact Assessment, the initial screening for an Equality Impact Assessment and the Rural Proofing checklist are available at www.justice.gov.uk

Copies of the consultation paper are being sent to:  Local MPs;  Local AMs;  Local Constabulary;  Crown Prosecution Service – Chief Crown Prosecutor;  Director of Offender Management;  CAFCASS Cymru;  Civil Court Users Association;  District and County Councils and Local Authorities;  Local Courts Board;  Local Criminal Justice Boards;

5 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

 Judicial Issues Group;  Local Bench Chairs;  Criminal Defence Service;  Law Society;  Bar Council;  Local legal practitioners;  Senior Presiding Judge;  Presiding Judge;  Senior District Judge  Association of HM District Judges;  District Judge (Magistrates’ Court);  The Chief Magistrate;  Magistrates’ Association;  National Bench Chairs Forum;  Justices’ Clerks’ Society;  Lord Lieutenant;  High Sheriff;  Witness Care;  Victim Support;  Youth Offending Teams;  Prison Escort and Custody Service;  The Coroners Service; and  Trades Unions (PCS, FDA and Prospect).

This list is not meant to be exhaustive or exclusive and responses are welcomed from anyone with an interest in or views on the subject covered by this paper.

This consultation is also available at www.justice.gov.uk.

A map of proposals set out in this consultation paper is available at Annex A.

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Magistrates’ courts in Dyfed Powys

The need for change HMCS currently operates magistrates’ courts in Aberystwyth, Ammanford, Brecon, Cardigan, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Llandovery, Llanelli, Llandrindod Wells and Welshpool.

The location of these ten courts does not reflect changes in population, workload or transport and communication links since they were originally opened. The overall reduction in workload in magistrates’ courts has led to a utilisation rate in 2009-10 of 47.3%.3 Without reducing the number of magistrates’ courts we operate out of in Dyfed Powys, HMCS is unable to provide an efficient service.

There are currently eight Local Justice Areas within the LCJB area of Dyfed Powys, each with a separate bench of magistrates. In some of these Local Justice Areas (LJAs) there are insufficient magistrates to fill the various statutory positions on the committees and panels that are required. The current LJAs are: Carmarthen, Dinefwr, Montgomeryshire, Llanelli, Radnorshire and North Brecknock, De Brycheiniog, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire.

By implementing the proposals set out below we believe that HMCS can make better use of the remaining estate and significantly reduce costs both to HMCS and other agencies within the criminal justice system.

3 Courtroom utilisation is the time a courtroom is used, against the hours that a courtroom is available for use.

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The proposal

 To continue to operate magistrates’ courts in Aberystwyth, Brecon, Carmarthen, Llandrindod Wells, Haverfordwest, Llanelli, and Welshpool;  To close the magistrates’ courts in Cardigan, Ammanford, and Llandovery;  To merge the Local Justice areas of De Brycheiniog (sitting in Brecon) and Radnorshire and North Brecknock (sitting in Llandrindod Wells) to create the Brecknock and Radnorshire LJA;  To merge the Local Justices Areas of Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli to create the Carmarthenshire LJA; and  To merge Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Local Justice Areas to create the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Local Justice Area.

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Cardigan Magistrates’ Court

Ceredigion Local Justice Area is currently serviced by magistrates’ court buildings situated at Aberystwyth and Cardigan. A new courthouse to accommodate magistrates’ courts’ work for the entire local justice area is planned for Aberystwyth. Cardigan Magistrates’ Court is situated in a terraced street next to the old Police Station, which the Police Authority is disposing of.

Workload Cardigan Magistrates’ Court sits regularly once a week, with additional specialist courts (youth and family) sitting once a month. Occasionally some additional trials are listed at the courthouse. All custody cases have to be heard at other venues due to the lack of holding facilities.

Accommodation The Cardigan Courthouse consists of one very small courtroom and extremely limited ancillary accommodation.

The building does not provide adequate accommodation for court users, in particular victims and witnesses. There is insufficient space in the waiting area and in consultation rooms.

There is a limited holding facility available in the adjacent Police Station, however this single small cell does not provide adequate facilities and so has not been used to hold defendants for some time. Additionally, the police station incorporating the cell is being disposed of by the Police Authority. The building is not compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), and is generally unsuitable for use as a court. There is no public counter facility at this location.

The current magistrates’ court at Aberystwyth could comfortably accommodate the additional work from Cardigan and offers better facilities. There are plans to deliver a new courthouse at Aberystwyth to provide further improved facilities.

Location The distance from Cardigan to Aberystwyth is 38 miles; and the distance to Haverfordwest is 29 miles. The journey from Cardigan to Aberystwyth is around an hours drive. A bus journey to Aberystwyth takes approximately two hours at cost of £4.55 for a single ticket. The journey from Cardigan to Haverfordwest takes around 48 minutes to drive. A bus journey takes approximately one hour and 15 minutes and costs £4.25 for a single ticket.

The courthouse in Aberystwyth is located close to public car parking, and there is a car park at Haverfordwest provided for court users.

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Staff implications No staff are permanently based at Cardigan.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Cardigan Magistrates’ Court was £88,049.4 The closure of Cardigan court house would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £50,000.5

Implementation Should the decision be taken to close Cardigan Magistrates’ Court, a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

4 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs). This figure includes the total security provision for the Ceredigion group of courts (Aberystwyth and Cardigan) of £47,183. Of this figure, Aberystwyth security costs were £35,798 and Cardigan security costs were £11,385. Therefore, a true representation of operating costs for Cardigan would have been £52,251.06. 5 In a previous version of this consultation document, the backlog maintenance figure was inaccurately reported as £85,000.

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Merger of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Local Justice Areas to form the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Local Justice Areas

There are currently 51 justices on the Ceredigion Bench and 59 justices on the Pembrokeshire Bench, which makes it increasingly impractical to fill the various statutory positions on the committees and panels that are required. It is impossible to argue for an increase in the Bench size, due to the volume of work. However, by merging the two, there will be a sufficiently large pool of magistrates to undertake the work and to fulfil the necessary statutory positions.

There is already some collaboration between the justices on the two benches. A formal merger of the benches would reduce the amount of administrative work involved in organising and attending separate bench and committee meetings. This would facilitate further efficiency savings whilst enabling an effective service to continue to be provided.

Although all the Ceredigion work could be relocated for hearing at the Aberystwyth Court, there would be a greater flexibility of listing for court users if some of the work currently listed for Cardigan could be diverted to the Pembrokeshire (Haverfordwest) Courthouse. This would maximise the efficiency of listing at both Aberystwyth and Haverfordwest and facilitate the development of a more efficient listing schedule at both courts.

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Ammanford Magistrates’ Court

The Dinefwr Local Justice Area (LJA) is currently serviced by the magistrates’ court buildings at Ammanford and Llandovery. Ammanford Magistrates’ Court is a purpose built courthouse constructed in 1901. The court is only able to receive non-custodial work because of lack of cell facilities.

Workload Since the demolition of the adjacent Police Station, there are no cell facilities available to Ammanford Magistrates’ Court. Any custody cases and other cases which could pose a potential risk are diverted to the Llanelli Magistrates’ Court. Because of this, the court has a low utilisation rate and sits at most twice a week at the most.

Accommodation The Ammanford Courthouse consists of one large courtroom and has limited waiting and ancillary accommodation. There is also limited Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance.

The Ammanford Magistrates’ Court accommodation is inadequate in that it does not provide any custodial facilities and there are inadequate waiting and interview facilities. There are also no facilities for victims and witnesses. The facilities are entirely unsuitable for the listing of cases involving vulnerable witnesses. There is no public counter facility at the courthouse.

The facilities available at Llanelli are significantly better than those at Ammanford, and can comfortably absorb the additional work.

Location The distance from Ammanford to Llanelli is fourteen miles; and the distance to Carmarthen is eighteen miles. It takes around 25 minutes to drive to Llanelli from Ammanford, or a bus journey costs £5.40 for a single ticket and lasts one hour.

Staff implications No staff are employed at Ammanford Magistrates’ Court.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

12 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Ammanford Magistrates’ Court was £110,392.6 The closure of Ammanford court house would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £45,000.

Implementation Should the decision to close Ammanford Magistrates’ Court be taken, a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

6 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs).

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Llandovery Magistrates’ Court

The Llandovery Magistrates’ Court was previously used as a second court for Dinefwr Local Justice Area (LJA), but has not been used since the early 2000’s, with no negative impacts on access to justice. The building is currently owned by the Local Authority and used as a library.

Workload When the Llandovery Court last sat, sittings had been reduced to one per fortnight and frequently there was insufficient work to justify those sittings. Most of the workload for the Dinefwr Magistrates’ Court is currently heard at the Ammanford Magistrates’ Court, with the remainder heard at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court.

Accommodation The accommodation at the Llandovery Magistrates’ Court offered extremely limited facilities. The building is located on the first floor above an open market site, and there is only one route of access via a staircase for all those attending the court, including magistrates and court staff. The building did not offer any suitable custody facilities, and waiting and meeting room accommodation was extremely limited. The building was not Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant. The building was refurbished as a library in the early 2000’s by Carmarthenshire County Council who owns it. HMCS has a licence to use the building if needed, but it is deemed entirely unsuitable for use.

Location Llanelli is 30 miles from Llandovery. By car the journey takes around 52 minutes. There is limited public transport in the area - by train, the journey between Llandovery and Llanelli takes just under an hour, and by bus it takes over two hours.

Staff implications No staff are employed at Llandovery Magistrates’ Court. HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications There will be no cost implications.

Implementation The work from Llandovery has already been moved, so no implementation plan will be required with regard to this court location.

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Merger of Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli Local Justice Areas to form the Carmarthenshire Local Justice Area

There is already some collaboration between the justices on the three benches in Carmarthenshire (Carmarthen, Dinefwr and Llanelli). It is planned to merge these three local justice areas, which will enable a greater flexibility of listing.

There are currently 58 justices assigned to the Llanelli Local Justice Area (LJA); 39 to Carmarthen; and 26 to Dinefwr, which makes it increasingly impractical to fill the various statutory positions on the committees and panels that are required. It is impossible to argue for an increase in the Bench size, due to the volume of work. However, by merging the three, there will be a sufficiently large pool of magistrates to undertake the work and to fulfil the necessary statutory positions. It would also bring a greater diversity to the magistracy in the area.

This is particularly important for Dinefwr (which sits at Ammanford), which is the smallest of the three benches. As all the custodial cases are already listed at Llanelli, there would be a more efficient deployment of judicial resources.

A formal merger of the benches would reduce the amount of administrative work involved in organising and attending separate bench and committee meetings. This would facilitate further efficiency savings whilst enabling an effective service to continue to be provided.

It is proposed to include Carmarthen in the bench merger with Llanelli and Dinefwr, as currently there is insufficient work to enable all justices on the Carmarthen Bench to have experience of a full range of work.

It is intended that the work currently listed at Ammanford Courthouse would generally be listed at Llanelli, although upon a merger of the three local justice areas it would also be possible on occasions for the Carmarthen Courthouse to be utilised for some of this additional work.

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Merger of the De Brycheiniog (Brecon) and Radnorshire and North Brecknock Local Justice Areas (LJAs) to form the Brecknock and North Radnorshire LJAs

There are currently fifteen justices on the Radnorshire and North Brecknock (Llandrindod Wells) Bench and 27 justices on the De Brycheiniog (Brecon) Bench, which makes it increasingly impractical to fill the various statutory positions on the committees and panels that are required. It is impossible to argue for an increase in the Bench size, due to the volume of work. Even with a Bench of this size, there will continue to be a challenge to undertake all work and fulfil the necessary statutory positions.

By necessity, there is already substantial collaboration between the justices on the two Benches.

The Benches at Brecon and Radnorshire and North Brecknock are already amongst the smallest in England and Wales. A merger would reduce the amount of administrative work involved in organising and attending separate bench and committee meetings. It would also facilitate further efficiency savings whilst enabling an effective service to be provided, and enable a greater flexibility of listing.

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Magistrates’ courts in Gwent

The need for change HMCS currently operates magistrates’ courts in Abergavenny, Abertillery, Blackwood, Caerphilly, Chepstow, Cwmbran, and Newport. The Local Justice Area (LJA) is Gwent, which sits with one bench of magistrates.

The location of these eight courts does not reflect changes in population, workload or transport and communication links since they were originally opened. The overall reduction in workload in magistrates’ courts has led to a utilisation rate in 2009-10 of 56.3%.7 Without reducing the number of magistrates’ courts we operate out of in Gwent, HMCS is unable to provide an efficient service.

7 Courtroom utilisation is the time a courtroom is used, against the hours that a courtroom is available for use.

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The proposal

 To continue to operate magistrates’ courts in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Cwmbran, and Newport; and

 To close the magistrates’ courts in Abergavenny, Abertillery, and Chepstow.

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Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court

Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court is a purpose built 1960s style court building. The courthouse is a satellite court with no staff based at the location. Administrative business for courts across Gwent Local Justice Area (LJA) is administered from a central hub office in Cwmbran. Although it will be possible for the work at Abergavenny to be relocated to any court within the local justice area of Gwent, it is likely that much of the work will be transferred to Cwmbran or Newport.

Workload Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court has not been in use since December 2009, which has caused no negative impacts on access to justice for the community.

Accommodation Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court contains two informal courtrooms on the first floor level. The Probation Service currently use part of the building. Although the facilities are generally good, the lack of cell accommodation limits the cases that may be listed at this venue, and before December 2009 it was infrequently used. There are no public counter facilities at this location.

Location The distance from Abergravenny to Cwmbran is fifteen miles. A bus journey to Cwmbran takes approximately 39 minutes and the fare is £5.50. Cwmbran Magistrates Court is located in Cwmbran town centre, close to the railway station and bus station. There is free public parking at a variety of car parks in Cwmbran town centre.

Staff implications No staff are permanently based at Abergavenny. HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost8 of Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court was £126,584. The closure of the Abergavenny courthouse would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £631,000.

Implementation Should the decision be taken to close Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

8 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs).

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Abertillery Magistrates’ Court

Abertillery Magistrates’ Court is a satellite court with no staff. Administrative business for courts across Gwent Local Justice Area (LJA) is administered from a central hub office in Cwmbran (see above).

Although it will be possible for the work at Abertillery Magistrates’ Court to be relocated to any court within Gwent, it is likely that much of the work will be transferred to Cwmbran or Newport.

Workload Many of the cases listed at the Abertillery courthouse consist of criminal contested hearings emanating from all parts of Gwent. Due to the limited types of work which can be conducted here, it currently opens three days per week.

Accommodation The Abertillery courthouse is a converted technical college and does not provide all the facilities that would be expected of a modern courthouse. There is limited compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and there are no facilities for victims and witnesses. It does not meet current court design standards, limiting the range of business that can be listed. There is no public counter facility, and there are no custody facilities at this court venue.

Also, it is not suitable for redevelopment, and its location (situated on the side of a steep hillside) makes vehicle access very difficult, particularly during the winter months.

Location Although work may be transferred to any courthouse within Gwent, the closest courthouse is located at Cwmbran.

Cwmbran Magistrates Court is located in Cwmbran town centre, close to the railway station and bus station. Free car parking is provided at a variety of car parks. Journey time from Abertillery to Cwmbran by car is approximately 30 minutes and a distance of fourteen miles. The bus fare is £3.90. The journey from Abertillery to Cwmbran by bus takes approximately 50 minutes.

Staff implications No staff are permanently based at Abertillery Magistrates’ Court.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

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Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Abertillery Magistrates’ Court was £83,204.9 The closure of Abertillery court house would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £69k.

Implementation Should the decision be taken to close Abertillery Magistrates’ Court a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

9 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs).

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Chepstow Magistrates’ Court

Chepstow Magistrates’ Court is one of several satellite courts in Gwent administered from the central administration office at Gwent House, Cwmbran (see above).

Workload Cases have not been heard at Chepstow since around 2000.

Accommodation The accommodation consists of the use of the town hall conference facility, which has poor security and inadequate waiting areas. The accommodation is generally of poor quality and is not fit for purpose. Facilities for witnesses and victims are inadequate, with no waiting areas for victims, witnesses or others attending courts, no consultation rooms, and no judicial security provisions. There are also no custody or security facilities.

Location All work for the Gwent local justice area is being heard at other courts within the local justice area.

Staff implications No staff are permanently based at Chepstow.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications We have not used the court for several years. However, the remaining operating costs involved in keeping the building (in 2009/10) was £2,916.10

Implementation Should the decision be taken to close Chepstow Magistrates’ Court, no implementation plan will be required, as the casework is already being heard in other courts in Gwent.

10 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs).

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Magistrates’ courts in South Wales

The need for change HMCS currently operates magistrates’ courts in Aberdare, Barry, Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath, Pontypridd, Port Talbot, Llwynypia and Swansea.

The location of these ten courts does not reflect changes in population, workload or transport and communication links since they were originally opened. The overall reduction in workload in magistrates’ courts has led to a utilisation rate in 2009-10 of 55.1%.11 Without reducing the number of magistrates’ courts we operate out of in South Wales, HMCS is unable to provide an efficient service.

There are currently eight Local Justice Areas within the LCJB area of South Wales, each with a separate bench of magistrates. These are Cardiff, Cynon Valley, Merthyr Tydfil, Miskin, Neath and Port Talbot, Newcastle and Ogmore, Swansea, and the Vale of Glamorgan.

11 Courtroom utilisation is the time a courtroom is used, against the hours that a courtroom is available for use.

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The proposal

 To continue to operate magistrates’ courts in Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot;

 To close the magistrates’ courts in Aberdare, Barry and Llwynypia;

 To merge the Cynon Valley and Merthyr Tydfil Local Justice Areas (LJAs) and create the Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil LJA; and

 To merge the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Local Justice Areas to create a new Local Justice Area called South Glamorgan

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Aberdare Magistrates’ Court

Aberdare Magistrates’ Court is the only courthouse for the Cynon Valley Local Justice Area (LJA). The county court is also co-located in the same building. It is intended to move the work from both the magistrates’ and county courts to the Merthyr Tydfil Combined Court Centre and to merge Cynon Valley Local Justice Area with the Merthyr Tydfil LJA.

Workload Aberdare Magistrates’ Courts sits five days a week dealing with criminal cases. However, the cases which can be heard are limited by inadequate witness and secure facilities.

Accommodation The Aberdare Magistrates’ Court consists of two courtrooms, and is located in the same building as the County Court which also has a courtroom.

There is limited compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act and there are limited facilities available to victims and witnesses. There are also issues around the reception of custody cases at this venue. Aberdare does have some cells, but there are issues relating to their use.

Location Aberdare Magistrates Court is close to the town centre. It is located eight miles from the Merthyr Tydfil combined court centre, and the journey time by bus is 30 minutes at a cost of £3.90 for a single ticket.

Staff implications There are currently no staff allocated to magistrates’ courts work based at Aberdare Magistrates' Court.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

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Cost implications Aberdare Magistrates’ Court shares accommodation with Aberdare County Court. The combined 2009/10 operating cost of Aberdare Magistrates’ and County Court was £257,640.12 The closure of Aberdare court house would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £190,000.13

Implementation Should the decision be taken to close Aberdare Magistrates’ Court a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

12 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs). 13 In a previous version of this consultation document, the backlog maintenance figure was inaccurately reported as £770,000.

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Barry Magistrates’ Court

Barry Magistrates’ Court is a freehold 1970s purpose-built magistrates’ court building with three operational courtrooms and is located in Barry town centre. It is the only courthouse for the Vale of Glamorgan Local Justice Area (LJA).

It is intended to move the work to the Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, to merge the Vale of Glamorgan LJA with Cardiff LJA, and to transfer all the work currently heard at Barry to Cardiff.

Workload The court sits daily. However, the proximity of Cardiff Magistrates’ Court and the superior facilities available for users there indicates that considerable savings could be made from the closure without a negative impact on access to justice for communities in South Wales. Cardiff has capacity to comfortably absorb all work from Barry Magistrates’ Court.

Accommodation The building has received some refurbishment over the last three years to make it compliant with current court standards. These improvements have included disabled access and parking, improved witness facilities and secure segregation. The courthouse has fully refurbished custody facilities but the building lacks a van dock.

Location Barry is located within the town centre and is nine miles away from Cardiff Magistrates Court. The journey takes approximately 28 minutes by bus and costs £3.50 for a day ticket. Rail travel is available between Barry and Cardiff, also taking around half an hour, and costs £2.60 for a single journey.

Staff implications There is already an HMCS consultation process in place in relation to the proposal to relocate the staff to Cardiff. This additional consultation proposes the closure of Barry Magistrates’ Court and the merger of the LJAs.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

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Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Barry Magistrates’ Court was £281,972.14 The closure of Barry courthouse would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £255,000.

Implementation Should the decision be taken to close Barry Magistrates’ Court a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

14 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs).

28 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Llwynypia Magistrates’ Court

Llwynypia Magistrates’ Court is a freehold purpose built court. It is one of two courthouses in the Miskin Local Justice Area (LJA). It is intended to transfer the work to the Pontypridd Magistrates’ Court where there is sufficient capacity.

Workload The court sits four days per week and deals with criminal work. However, the proximity of Pontypridd Magistrates’ Court and the superior facilities available for users there indicates that considerable savings could be made from the closure without a negative impact on access to justice for communities in South Wales. Pontypridd is significantly underused, and has capacity to comfortably absorb all work from Llwynypia Magistrates’ Court.

Accommodation The Llwynypia Magistrates’ Court has two court rooms and custodial facility providing seven cells and a witness suite. The building provides limited compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act.

Location The Llwynypia Magistrates’ Court is just seven miles from Pontypridd. A bus journey takes 41 minutes at a cost of £2.80 for a single ticket. By train the journey takes seventeen minutes and costs £3.20 for a single ticket.

Staff implications No staff are located at Llwynypia.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Llwynypia Magistrates’ Court was £205.040.15 The closure of Llwynypia court house would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £125,000.16

Implementation Should the decision to close Llwynypia Magistrates’ Court be taken a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

15 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs). 16 In a previous version of this consultation document, the backlog maintenance figure was inaccurately reported as £600,000.

29 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Merger of Merthyr Tydfil and Cynon Valley Local Justice Areas to form the Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil Local Justice Area

There are currently 36 magistrates in the Cynon Valley Local Justice Area (LJA) and 43 magistrates in the Merthyr Tydfil LJA.

Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil towns are located within easy travelling distance of each other and Merthyr Tydfil offers sufficient spare utilisation capacity to accommodate the extra work that would be transferred in from Aberdare. The merger will also offer efficiencies of a greater economy of scale.

It would also reduce the amount of administrative work involved in organising and attending separate bench and committee meetings. This would facilitate further efficiency savings whilst enabling an effective service to continue to be provided, and enable a greater flexibility of listing.

30 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Merger of the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff Local Justice Areas to form South Glamorgan Local Justice Area

There are currently 73 magistrates in the Vale of Glamorgan LJA and 269 magistrates in the Cardiff LJA.

The merger will offer efficiencies of an even greater economy of scale, and enhance the diversity of the bench.

31 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Magistrates’ courts in North Wales

The need for change HMCS currently operates magistrates’ courts in Caernarfon, Dolgellau, Denbigh, Flint, Holyhead, Llandudno, Llangefni, Mold, Prestatyn, Pwllheli and Wrexham.

The location of these eleven courts does not reflect changes in population, workload or transport and communication links since they were originally opened. The overall reduction in workload in magistrates’ courts has led to a utilisation rate in 2009-10 of 53.6%.17 Without reducing the number of magistrates’ courts we operate out of in North Wales, HMCS is unable to continue to provide an efficient service.

There are currently six Local Justice Areas (LJAs) within the LCJB area of North Wales, each with a separate bench of magistrates. These are Anglesey (Ynys Mon), Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, and Wrexham.

At this stage it is not proposed to take forward any formal consideration of bench mergers. It is recognised that there is a significant level of collaboration between the benches.

17 Courtroom utilisation is the time a courtroom is used, against the hours that a courtroom is available for use.

32 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

The proposal

 To continue to operate magistrates’ courts in Caernarfon, Dolgellau, Holyhead, Llandudno, Mold, Prestatyn, and Wrexham; and

 To close the magistrates’ courts in Denbigh, Flint, Llangefni, and Pwllheli.

33 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Denbigh Magistrates’ Court

Denbighshire LJA is serviced by the Denbigh Magistrates’ Court and Prestatyn Magistrates’ Courts. Denbigh Magistrates’ Court is a freehold converted Victorian school sited on a large plot. This court sits one day per week, and deals with criminal and family work. It is proposed to transfer the work from Denbigh Magistrates’ Court to Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court where there is sufficient capacity.

Workload Denbigh cannot accommodate custody cases due to security limitations. Therefore, it can only deal with non-custody criminal and family work. This means that it has a substantially reduced utilisation rate and only sits on one day per week.

Accommodation Denbigh Magistrates’ Court has limited compliance with Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) access requirements. There are security issues in relation to this building as it does not offer any custodial facilities. The external fabric of the building is poor and in need of attention, including the need for a new roof. The accommodation offers one courtroom. There are limited facilities for victims and witnesses.

Location The journey between Denbigh and Prestatyn is thirteen miles. It takes just over an hour by bus at a cost of £3.80 for a single ticket.

Staff implications No staff are permanently located in Denbigh Magistrates’ Court. However, the Wales fixed penalty office is based in the building, with a staff complement of 32. HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/ 10 operating cost of Denbigh Magistrates’ Court and fixed penalty office was £39,388.18 The closure of the Denbigh courthouse would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £120,000.19

18 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs). 19 In a previous version of this consultation document, the backlog maintenance figure was inaccurately reported as £280,000.

34 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Implementation Should the decision be taken to close Denbigh Magistrates’ Court a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

35 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Flint Magistrates’ Court

The Flintshire Local Justice Area (LJA) is serviced by the Mold and Flint Magistrates’ Courts. The Flint Magistrates’ Court building is on a freehold tenure having been built as a two courtroom facility in 1959. It is proposed that all remaining work at Flint moves to Mold Magistrates’ Court.

Workload Flint Magistrates’ Court sits most weeks for one day, but the business listed is limited to enforcement and some criminal work. The court is mainly used by the Coroner and other external. There is sufficient capacity at Mold Magistrates’ Court to enable any remaining workload currently listed at Flint Magistrates’ Court to be heard there.

Accommodation The Flint courthouse has limited compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), and there are no facilities for victims and witnesses including witness care or consultation rooms. One of the two courtrooms is unusable because it does not comply with health and safety requirements. The courthouse falls far short of current court design standards, limiting the range of business that can be listed. There is no public counter facility, and there are no custody facilities or secure access at this court venue.

Location Flint is 5.3 miles to Mold and involves a bus journey of 16 minutes at a cost of £1.65 for a single journey.

Staff implications No staff are permanently based at Flint Magistrates’ Court. HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Flint Magistrates’ Court was £89,656.20 See further amendment below.21

Implementation Should the decision be taken to close Flint Magistrates’ Court, a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

20 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs). An earlier version of the consultation paper misreported that the operating costs for Flint Magistrates’ Court were £28,056. 21 A previous version of this document also inaccurately referred to a maintenance backlog figure of £80,000.

36 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Llangefni Magistrates’ Court

The Llangefni Magistrates’ Court is a leasehold facility which forms part of the Ynys Mon Shire Hall. It is one of two magistrates’ courts within the Ynys Mon / Anglesea Local Justice Area. It is proposed to transfer the work of the Llangefni Magistrates’ Court to Holyhead, where there will be sufficient capacity to undertake this work.

Workload Llangefni Magistrates’ Court has one courtroom and sits twice per week. This court deal with criminal business.

Accommodation Llangefni Magistrates’ Court consists of one multi-functional courtroom. The building is Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) complaint and has facilities for victims and witnesses

Location Holyhead is sixteen miles from Llangefni. The bus journey takes 33 minutes and a single ticket costs £3.50.

Staff implications There are currently no staff permanently based at Llangefni Magistrates’ Court.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Llangefni Magistrates’ Court was £23,134.22

Implementation Should the decision to close Llangefni Magistrates’ Court be taken, a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

22 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs).

37 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Pwllheli Magistrates’ Court

The Gwynedd Local Justice Area is serviced by the Pwllheli, Caernarfon and Dolgellau Magistrates’ Courts. Pwllheli Magistrates’ Court is a freehold courthouse converted in the 1980’s from an old school building dating back to 1908.

It is proposed that the remaining work heard at Pwllheli transfers to Caernarfon where there is sufficient capacity to absorb the workload.

Workload Pwhelli magistrates’ court sits two days per week in one courtroom and deals with criminal work.

The inadequacy of the facilities at this building limits the range of business that can be listed for hearing.

Accommodation Pwllheli Magistrates’ Court has one courtroom with three holding cells. The courthouse has limited compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). There are few consultation rooms and no witness service facilities.

Location Pwllheli Magistrates’ Court is 20.7 miles away from Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre; and involves a bus journey time of 45 minutes at a cost of £2.90.

Staff implications No staff are permanently based at Pwllheli Magistrates’ Court.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Pwllheli Magistrates’ Court was £32,311.23

See further amendment below.24

Implementation Should the decision to close Pwllheli Magistrates’ Court be taken, a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

23 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs). 24 A previous version of this document also inaccurately referred to a maintenance backlog figure of £70,000.

38 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

County courts in Wales

The need for change HMCS civil courts are providing increasingly affordable accessible and efficient services. We have increased mediation and alternative dispute resolution services in order to reduce the amount of cases which have to come to court, and improve the experience for users. As more claims are processed online and by telephone, and other non-judicial processes are being centralised away from the frontline, counter services will also be less needed.

Without reducing the number of county courts we operate out of in Wales HMCS is unable to provide an efficient service. By implementing the proposals set out below we believe that HMCS can make better use of the remaining estate and significantly reduce costs both to HMCS and other agencies within the criminal justice system.

39 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

The proposal

To continue to operate county courts in Cardiff, Blackwood, Newport, Bridgend, Pontypridd, Merthyr Tydfil, Llanelli, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Brecon, Aberystwyth, Welshpool, Wrexham, Mold, Caernarfon, and Neath and Port Talbot.

To close the county courts in:  Aberdare;  Pontypool; and  Chepstow.

To close county courts and to relocate them to premises within the same jurisdictional boundaries in:  Rhyl; and  Llangefni.

40 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Aberdare County Court

Aberdare County is co-located in the same building as the Aberdare Magistrates’ Court and is held on a freehold tenure. It is intended to move both the county court and magistrates’ court work to the Merthyr Tydfil combined court centre (see section above on the magistrates’ court).

Workload The business listed at this court includes civil and bankruptcy cases. There is one civil courtroom that deals civil and bankruptcy work on one day per week. The counter facility is open two days per week between 10am and 4pm.

Accommodation The combined county and magistrates’ court building consists of one county courtroom and one magistrates’ courtroom.

There is limited compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and limited facilities available to victims and witnesses. There are also issues around the reception of custody cases at this venue.

Merthyr Tydfil offers good facilities for all types of work.

Location Aberdare Combined County and Magistrates’ Court is located eight miles from the Merthyr Tydfil Combined Court Centre, and the journey time by bus is 30 minutes at a cost of £3.80 for a single ticket.

Staff implications There are three members of staff undertaking county court work at this venue.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications Aberdare County Court shares accommodation and costs with Aberdare Magistrates’ Court above.

Implementation Should the decision be taken to close Aberdare County Court a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

41 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Pontypool County Court

The Pontypool County Court is a freehold purpose built courthouse constructed in 1993. There are currently two county court rooms at the Pontypool County Court. It is intended to transfer the Pontypool County Court work to the Blackwood County Court.

Workload The court sits one day per week and deals with civil and bankruptcy work. The counter at Pontypool is currently open from 10am – 4pm on one day per week, plus one additional Thursday each month. At Blackwood the counter provision will continue to be 10am – 4pm on five days per week.

Accommodation Pontypool County Court accommodation comprises of one court room, one judge’s chamber and a public waiting area and conference rooms. It is compliant with Disability Discrimination Act access requirements.

Location Pontypool County Court is located ten miles from Blackwood and the journey time by bus is 35 minutes at a cost of £3.40 for a single ticket.

Staff implications There is currently one member of staff permanently based at Pontypool County Court.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Pontypool County Court was £54,506.25 The closure of the Pontypool courthouse would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £150,000.26

Implementation Should the decision to close Pontypool County Court be taken a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

25 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs). 26 In a previous version of this consultation document, the backlog maintenance figure was inaccurately reported as £135,000.

42 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Chepstow County Court

No substantial listing of cases at Chepstow County Court has taken place since 2002. The county court accommodation consists of the town hall conference facility, which has poor security and inadequate waiting areas, and no interview or meeting rooms. It is proposed that work will continue to be undertaken at Newport.

Workload Due to low and falling workload in the area, and unsuitable facilities, Chepstow is considerably under-utilised. The court sits at most one day per fortnight. No counter facilities are provided at Chepstow. Counter services will continue to be provided at Newport between the hours of 10am – 4pm five days per week.

Accommodation The accommodation is generally of poor quality and is not fit for purpose. There is no provision for security for judiciary or provision of counter facilities. There are inadequate waiting areas or consultation rooms for users of the court. There is no counter facility provided at the courthouse.

Location Chepstow County Court is near Chepstow town centre, and is seventeen miles from Newport. The journey for travel by bus is 50 minutes and the cost of a single ticket is £4.15.

Staff implications No staff are permanently based at Chepstow County Court.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Chepstow County Court was £2,917.27

Implementation There is no implementation plan required, as work is already undertaken at Newport County Court.

27 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs).

43 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Rhyl County Court

Rhyl County Court is a freehold building. The accommodation is adapted office space located near to the town centre. There is limited external Disability and Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance. It hears a full range of county court work. It is proposed that the work transfers to Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court, which is within the same jurisdiction and provides better facilities. Some investment would be required at Prestatyn to enable it to receive the work.

Workload The court sits five days per week in two courtrooms and is a care centre dealing with care, divorce, adoption, civil and also bankruptcy work. The counter court provision at Rhyl is 10am – 4pm five days per week.

Accommodation Rhyl County Court has a suite of adapted offices with one court room and one small hearing room on the first floor. Access is not fully compliant with Disability Discrimination Act provisions but internally there is a stair lift available. There are limited consultation facilities.

Location Rhyl County Court is located 3.3 miles away from Prestatyn, where the work would be transferred. The cost of travelling by bus is £3.30 for a single ticket, and the journey takes fifteen minutes.

Staff implications There are currently fifteen members of staff based at Rhyl County Court.

HMCS will engage with staff and the Trades Unions throughout the consultation process.

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Rhyl County Court was £114,403.28 The closure of Rhyl County Court would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £30,000.29

Implementation If the decision is taken to close Rhyl County Court, a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

28 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs). 29 In a previous version of this consultation document, the backlog maintenance figure was inaccurately reported as £170,000.

44 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Llangefni County Court

Llangefni County Court is located near to the town centre. It is proposed in the first instance to integrate the work of the Llanegefni County Court into the Llangefni Magistrates’ Court, until such time that work has been undertaken to improve the accommodation at Holyhead. Once that has been completed, it is proposed the work of both the magistrates’ court and county court transfers to the Holyhead Law Courts.

Workload and Utilisation The court sits three per week and an extra day every three weeks. The court deals with civil, family and bankruptcy work. A counter facility is provided from 10am – 2pm when the court is sitting. Holyhead has sufficient capacity to absorb the work from Llangefni.

Accommodation The courthouse is a freehold Grade II listed building dating back to 1870. There is limited Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance and no security access. The second courtroom was converted into office accommodation in the 1990’s. The court is now operating with one small hearing room. Maintenance work to the court is required which includes repairs to the flat roof, external render and emergency lighting.

Location / Communication In Phase One (the integration of the magistrates’ court and county court within the town of Llangefni) there will be no additional travel.

When the work from Llangefni transfers to Holyhead there will be a distance of 16.6 miles. A single ticket for a bus journey of 33 minutes is £3.30. The journey is around 25 minutes drive.

Staff implications There are five people permanently based at Llangefni County Court.

HMCS will engage with staff and the trades unions throughout the consultation process.

45 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Cost implications The 2009/10 operating cost of Llangefni County Court was £96,713.30 The closure of Llangefni County Court would also remove the need for HMCS investment in backlog maintenance of around £20,000.31

Implementation Should the decision to close Llangefni County Court be taken, a full implementation plan will be produced to ensure the smooth transfer of work.

30 2009/10 HMCS operating costs (excluding staff and non cash costs). An earlier version of the consultation paper misreported that the operating costs for Llangefni County Court were £33,134. 31 The reference to the maintenance backlog at Llangefni County Court was missed out of the earlier version of this document.

46 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Annex A – Map of proposals

47 Current courts in Wales

Legend

W HMCS Courts Holyhead Llandudno Ç Ç ConwyD Ç Prestatyn Llangefni D TYPE DÇ Rhyl ÇFlint (DÇ County/Magistrates/Crown Denbigh Mold Caernarfon Ç (DÇ (ÇD (D County/Crown Wrexham DÇ County/Magistrates DÇ (Ç Magistrates/Crown ÇPwllheli Ç Magistrates D Dolgellau County (Ç ( Welshpool Crown (DÇ

Aberystwyth DÇ

LlandrindodÇ Wells

ÇCardigan

ÇLlandovery Brecon DÇ Carmarthen Haverfordwest DÇ (DÇ ÇAbergavenny ÇAmmanford Merthyr Abertillery Ç (D Ç Llanelli Aberdare DÇ Pontypool DÇ Neath BlackwoodD DÇ DÇ Rhondda DÇ DÇ (ÇD Port Talbot Ç Cwmbran Swansea Ç DÇ ÇD Chepstow Pontypridd Ç ( Caerphilly Bridgend Newport DÇ Cardiff (DÇ

ÇBarry

Proposed courts in Wales

Symbol Legend Holyhead Llandudno Prestatyn HMCS Regional Boundaries Ç Ç Conwy Ç D HMCS Area Boundaries 10/11 Mold Caernarfon (DÇ (ÇD Wrexham 05 10 20 30 40 DÇ Miles

Dolgellau (Ç Welshpool (DÇ

Aberystwyth DÇ

LlandrindodÇ Wells

Brecon DÇ Carmarthen Haverfordwest DÇ (DÇ Merthyr (DÇ Llanelli DÇ Neath Blackwood DÇ Ç D ÇCwmbran SwanseaÇD ( Pontypridd Newport Ç DÇ (ÇD Port Talbot Ç Bridgend Caerphilly DÇ Cardiff (DÇ

Questionnaire

We would welcome responses to the following questions set out in this consultation paper.

Question 1a. What comments would you like to make on the proposals for the future provision of magistrates’ courts services in Dyfed Powys (including LJA/ Bench mergers)?

Question 1b. Please describe any particular impacts that should be taken into account when considering the proposals for magistrates’ courts in Dyfed Powys and why.

Question 1c. Will the proposals for magistrates’ courts in Dyfed Powys have a direct impact on you? If yes please provide further details. (Your information will assist in reviewing the equality impact assessment)

49 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Question 2a. What comments would you like to make on the proposals for the future provision of magistrates’ courts services in Gwent (including LJA/ Bench mergers)?

Question 2b. Please describe any particular impacts that should be taken into account when considering the proposals for magistrates’ courts in Gwent and why.

Question 2c. Will the proposals for magistrates’ courts in Gwent have a direct impact on you? If yes please provide further details. (Your information will assist in reviewing the equality impact assessment)

50 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Question 3a. What comments would you like to make on the proposals for the future provision of magistrates’ courts services in South Wales (including LJA/ Bench mergers)?

Question 3b. Please describe any particular impacts that should be taken into account when considering the proposals for magistrates’ courts in South Wales and why.

Question 3c. Will the proposals for magistrates’ courts in South Wales have a direct impact on you? If yes please provide further details. (Your information will assist in reviewing the equality impact assessment)

51 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Question 4a. What comments would you like to make on the proposals for the future provision of magistrates’ courts services in North Wales (including LJA/ Bench mergers)?

Question 4b. Please describe any particular impacts that should be taken into account when considering the proposals for magistrates’ courts in North Wales and why.

Question 4c. Will the proposals for magistrates’ courts in North Wales have a direct impact on you? If yes please provide further details. (Your information will assist in reviewing the equality impact assessment)

52 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Question 5a. What comments would you like to make on the proposals for the future provision of county court services in Wales?

Question 5b. Please describe any particular impacts that should be taken into account when considering the proposals for county courts in Wales and why.

Question 5c. Will the proposals for county courts in Wales have a direct impact on you? If yes please provide further details. (Your information will assist in reviewing the equality impact assessment)

Thank you for participating in this consultation exercise.

53 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

About you

Please use this section to tell us about yourself

Full name Job title or capacity in which you are responding to this consultation exercise (e.g. member of the public etc.) Date Company name/organisation (if applicable): Address

Postcode If you would like us to acknowledge receipt of your response, please tick this box (please tick box)

Address to which the acknowledgement should be sent, if different from above

If you are a representative of a group, please tell us the name of the group and give a summary of the people or organisations that you represent.

54 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Contact details/How to respond

Please send your response by 15 September to: Stephen Whale Director, Courts Transformation (Wales) Churchill House Churchill Way Cardiff CF10 2HH DX 121723 Cardiff 9 Tel: 029 2067 8304 Fax: 029 2067 8406 Email: [email protected]

Extra copies Further paper copies of this consultation can be obtained from this address and it is also available on-line at http://www.justice.gov.uk/index.htm.

Alternative format versions of this publication can be requested from the contact listed above.

Publication of response A paper summarising the responses to this consultation will be published within 3 months of the end of the consultation period. The response paper will be available on-line at http://www.justice.gov.uk/index.htm.

Representative groups Representative groups are asked to give a summary of the people and organisations they represent when they respond.

Confidentiality Information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be published or disclosed in accordance with the access to information regimes (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004).

If you want the information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that, under the FOIA, there is a statutory Code of Practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence. In view of this it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information we will

55 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on the Department.

The Department will process your personal data in accordance with the DPA and, in the majority of circumstances, this will mean that your personal data will not be disclosed to third parties.

56 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

The consultation criteria

The seven consultation criteria are as follows:

1. When to consult – Formal consultations should take place at a stage where there is scope to influence the policy outcome.

2. Duration of consultation exercises – Consultations should normally last for at least 12 weeks with consideration given to longer timescales where feasible and sensible.

3. Clarity of scope and impact – Consultation documents should be clear about the consultation process, what is being proposed, the scope to influence and the expected costs and benefits of the proposals.

4. Accessibility of consultation exercises – Consultation exercises should be designed to be accessible to, and clearly targeted at, those people the exercise is intended to reach.

5. The burden of consultation – Keeping the burden of consultation to a minimum is essential if consultations are to be effective and if consultees’ buy-in to the process is to be obtained.

6. Responsiveness of consultation exercises – Consultation responses should be analysed carefully and clear feedback should be provided to participants following the consultation.

7. Capacity to consult – Officials running consultations should seek guidance in how to run an effective consultation exercise and share what they have learned from the experience.

These criteria must be reproduced within all consultation documents.

57 Proposal on the provision of courts services in Wales

Consultation Co-ordinator contact details

If you have any complaints or comments about the consultation process rather than about the topic covered by this paper, you should contact Sara Edet/Andy Holmes, HMCS Consultation Co-ordinators, on 020 3334 6686/6693, or email [email protected].

Alternatively, you may wish to write to the address below: Sara Edet/Andy Holmes HMCS Consultation Co-ordinators 2.37, 2nd Floor 102 Petty France London SW1H 9AJ

If your complaints or comments refer to the topic covered by this paper rather than the consultation process, please direct them to the contact given under the How to respond section of this paper at page 55.

Alternative format versions of this report are available on request from: [email protected]