Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has been made on the closure of courts in the Vale of Clwyd; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such closures on staff numbers and levels of service.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service keeps the use of its estate under review in order to make the best use of its resources for users and taxpayers alike.

The decision to close Rhyl County Court and move its work to Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court was announced by the Lord Chancellor in December 2010. The closure required enabling work at Prestatyn Magistrates' Court to accommodate the additional work, which has not yet been finalised. The court will not close until this work has been concluded. The effects on staff and levels of service were considered in response to the consultation and will form part of any closure implementation plan.