Crispin Blunt MP has responded to today’s announcement by the Ministry of Justice which proposes to close Redhill Magistrates’ Court and Family Court as well as Reigate County Court and Family Court and move court proceedings to Guildford and Staines, as part of the Ministry’s efficiency savings programme.
There will be a 12 week consultation on proposals to restructure the courts and tribunals system in England and Wales, with a view to making £200 million of savings. It is proposed that the Law Courts in Redhill are closed and the criminal workload transferred to the remaining two magistrates’ courts in Surrey. Currently, the courts in Redhill are operating at 49% of their capacity, which has prompted the Ministry of Justice to propose that workload is moved to Guildford and Staines as a more efficient use of resources.
Crispin Blunt said:
“It is bad news that we might lose our local courts. At the least, it would mean the serious inconvenience of transporting suspects from the police custody suite in Salfords all the way to Guildford and Staines. It would also significantly impact access to justice in the east of the County. The context is that the Ministry of Justice is facing considerable pressures on its budget as part of the Government’s important efforts to balance the national books and eliminate the deficit by 2019. I accept that this will mean difficult decisions, but these should not be unreasonable.
“I want to explore whether there are any alternatives to the proposed outright closure of the courts in Redhill. I would like to invite the Borough Council and local court administrators to form a task force with the police and the County Council with the task of examining the options and responding to the consultation. This should look at proposing creative ways to make the cost savings required whilst preserving a core presence in Redhill, if possible. I hope we can help the Ministry of Justice provide the courts service to the community at lower cost and look forward to discussing proposals before the end of the consultation.”
END
The announcement was made in a Written Ministerial Statement which can be found at:
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-vote-office/July%202015/16%20July/28-Justice-HMCourts.pdf
Proposal on the provision of court and tribunal services in the South East region (see pages 58-60 regarding Redhill Magistrates’ Court and Family Court and Reigate County Court and Family Court)