§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient period of time, the number of cases prosecuted by the Crown in the High Courts and costs of each case; and what action he has taken or intends taking to reduce these costs in accordance 104W with the Government's policy of reducing public expenditure.
§ Mr. BrittanI assume the hon. Member is referring to prosecutions in the Crown court.
The number of cases disposed of in the Crown court in 1978 is published in table B1 of Judicial Statistics, England and Wales, 1978 (Cmnd. 7627). The costs of each case are not centrally recorded. The Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure is examining the prosecution process and its terms of reference include the need for the efficient and economical use of resources.