Cardigan News
MP's concern over court reducing opening hours
11:40am Friday 17th February 2012
Ceredigion MP Mark Williams has expressed his concerns in his response to a consultation being undertaken by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) Wales, regarding proposals to reduce the counter service opening hours at Aberystwyth County Court.
Under these proposals the Aberystwyth Court will see its counter service reduce from 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday, to just 2 hours per week, from 11am to 1pm on a Friday.
The proposals, which have been put forward as part of the programme for ‘Modernisation of Face to Face Service Provision in the Civil and Family Courts’, and are due to be implemented in April, following the consultation’s closure on 2nd March 2012. The Court Service have said they believe the changes will allow for increased efficiency in the processing of court work. However local MP Mark Williams is concerned that this large reduction in counter hours will mean the residents of Ceredigion will not have enough access to the service.
Commenting Mark Williams said: "It is right that in the current climate we all take a look at how efficiency in services can be improved, but this cannot come at the expense of the ability to access to the justice system for my constituents. These proposals represent yet a further reduction of key services to those living in rural areas. A reduction in the county court counter service from 6 hours a day to 2 hours per week is a drastic move, and will leave constituents with an unacceptable level of service.
"I have written to respond to the consultation expressing my concerns, and hope HMCTS consider carefully the implications this will have on my constituents in Ceredigion, and people in the wider area who use the court. I will continue to monitor the situation and hope to hear that progress on negotiation more counter service can be made.