To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there are sufficient magistrates in the Gwent Police Authority area.
Answered on
21 October 2014
The Judicial Complement for magistrates' courts is considered annually, with appropriate consultation with bench chairmen, Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committees and the Chief Magistrate. Workload changes and bench retirements are taken into account, and the aim is to ensure that justices sit a minimum of 13 days per annum, with the average across England and Wales being between 17 and 23 days. Currently the average sittings for Gwent magistrates is about 15 days
Answered by
Ministry of Justice