HL Deb 19 June 1989 vol 509 cc114-5WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the average delay in the last 12 months, or other convenient period, in Northern Ireland cases involving scheduled offences, between first remand and trial; and how many persons have currently been held for more than 110 days since first remand.

The Lord Chancellor

The average time between first remand and trial for defendants in scheduled cases dealt with in the Crown Court in 1988 was 37 weeks. This covers both bail and custody cases. It also includes those cases where a plea of guilty was entered and those where a full trial was held.

In 1988, 287 out of a total of 557 defendants in all scheduled cases in the Crown Court waited in custody for 16* weeks (112 days) or more between first remand and disposal.

*Waiting times are monitored in terms of week.