HC Deb 18 April 1988 vol 131 cc544-5
75. Mr. Devlin

To ask the Attorney-General when he next intends to visit Teesside Crown courts.

The Solicitor-General (Sir Nicholas Lyell)

I have no present plans to do so.

Mr. Devlin

Is my hon. and learned Friend aware that a visit from him is long overdue, because in Teesside Crown court the victims of crimes have to wait in the same waiting area as those who may have attacked or assaulted them? I should be grateful if he could find time to come to Teesside and put forward some proposals to improve the situation.

The Solicitor-General

I sympathise with my hon. Friend and I think that I have some good news for him. New Crown courts are currently under construction in Teesside and are due for completion early in 1991. These will provide 12 new courtrooms with 28 witness and consultation rooms and, particularly pertinent to what he said, a separate witness waiting suite with its own toilet facilities.

Mr. John Morris

Is the Solicitor-General aware that despite his good news for Teesside, which I welcome, another problem that will remain in Teesside and in many other courts is the absence of dock officers? When a custodial sentence has to be passed, the presiding officer has to send a message to his clerk to ensure that a dock officer is present. A similar situation pertains in magistrates' courts when there are no policemen present. Unhappily, one of these days a great tragedy will occur because no one will be present to search even a defendant on bail before he is arraigned. That is a real problem in our courts.

The Solicitor-General

I am grateful to the right hon. and learned Gentleman for his welcome for the substantial new court building programme that is in train. I recognise the problem to which he refers and, of course, it is in part unfortunately exacerbated by the industrial action in the prison service. Attention is being given to that.