As the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of information on the courts system.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had inquiries made and the Courts Service has provided information regarding the number of Special Exemption Orders granted from 2008 to 2017. The Courts Service has advised that statistics for 2018 are not yet available and are currently being compiled.
Special Exemption Orders 2008 - 2017
Year
|
Total
|
2008
|
78,711
|
2009
|
64,011
|
2010
|
64,878
|
2011
|
53,837
|
2012
|
48,363
|
2013
|
45,869
|
2014
|
42,118
|
2015
|
41,889
|
2016
|
39,978
|
2017
|
39,843
|
While I have no immediate plans to amend the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2018, my Department keeps the operation of the law in this area under ongoing review.