Cost of circuit judge's lodgings revealed to be a staggering 41,000 a week

Hostels are traditionally provided to ensure those judges travelling on the circuit have a secure place to stay, away from contact with lawyers or witnesses in their trials, who may well use local hotels.

But MPs were told that the taxpayer regularly lays out more than £1,000 a night accommodating them.

The most expensive hostel is in Norwich, at a cost per week of £41,233.24

Even the cheapest lodgings cost £435 a night  -  enough to pay for a room at the Ritz and leave £100 for dinner.

The most expensive hostel is in Norwich, according to the breakdown. Last year, it cost £41,233.24 for each week of accommodation.

As they stay in the lodgings for no more than the five days in a week that the courts operate, the bill for each night that hostel was used ran to £8,246.65.

Seven years ago, the Lord Chancellor Lord Irvine decided that the lodgings were too expensive. He launched an inquiry aimed at shutting them down.

But the lodgings remained open. Many are in listed buildings with extensive grounds. They have staff, including chefs and chauffeurs. More than half are occupied by judges only part-time.

The next most expensive lodgings are in St Albans, Hertfordshire, at a cost of £15,319.83 a week and Reading, at £14,147.38 a week.

Lodgings in Worcester cost £11,070 to put up one judge for one week  -  more than £2,000 a night.

The total cost of lodgings was almost  £5million  -  £160,000 a year more than when Lord Irvine tried to close them.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw told MPs: 'The average cost since 2000 has remained at just over £5million which, when inflationary pressures are taken into account, shows that the economics of lodgings are carefully managed and have delivered a saving since 2000 of 12 per cent.'

The cost was 'under permanent review,' he added.

Mr Straw said the least frequently used lodgings had to be maintained throughout the year, which put up the weekly cost. The Norwich lodgings were used for only four weeks last year. Tower House has a folly, a large drawing room, conservatory-style sun room and butler's pantry.

The subsidies for judges' lodgings compare with the comparative frugality of expenses available for those who pay for hotels and meals where no lodgings are available. They are allowed no more than £100 a night for bed and breakfast, or £120 in London.

Judges may claim for a second home in London, but only up to £32.45 for each night they stay. For meals they may claim £21.

The bills were disclosed in response to questioning from MPs angered by court rulings over Westminster expenses.

Last month, High Court judges ruled that MPs' addresses must be published to help people gauge whether their claims are reasonable.

Officials say High Court judges require a safe place to stay because of the serious nature of the offences they deal with.

The Judicial Communications Office said in a statement: 'The high cost of the Norwich lodgings in 2006 to 2007 was due to a significant tailing off in that financial year of the level of court business that required a High Court judge to conduct.'