Birmingham Pub Bombings (Hansard, 10 December 1990)

§ Mr. Mullin
To ask the Attorney-General by whom the judges who will hear the appeal of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings will be selected.

§ The Attorney-General
The allocation of judges to the Court of Appeal criminal division is the responsibility of the Lord Chief Justice. The allocation of individual cases to those judges is the responsibility of the registrar of criminal appeals and his staff, subject to and in accordance with any directions given by the court.
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The Lord Chancellor's Department, however, seeks to keep waiting times for hearings to the minimum that the procedural rules, volume of business and available resources permit.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe.
To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the number of hearing rooms, adjudicators and support staff available in order to process immigration appeals; and if he will make a statement.

§ The Attorney-General
The number of hearing rooms, adjudicators and support staff are being kept under constant review by the Lord Chancellor's Department in light of the rising volume of immigration appeals. In 1989, additional resources were made available to the immigration appellate authorities (IAA) which resulted in a 50 per cent. increase in the number of cases disposed of. The figures requested were as follows on 1 December 1990:
Adjudicators

1 Chief Adjudicator

11 Full-time Adjudicators

70 Part-Time Adjudicators

23½ Hearing Rooms¹

Immigration Appeal Tribunal ( IAT)

1 President

2 Vice-Presidents

2 Part-Time Chairmen

2 Hearing Rooms²

Support Staff. for Adjudicators and IAT

85 The IAA has been authorised to increase this figure to 96½, and the additional staff should be in post in early 1991.

¹ Adjudicators are permanently based at Thanet House in London, Harmondsworth, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds but also hear appeals periodically at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.
² At Thanet House in London.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Attorney-General if he will quantify the ratio of immigration appeal personnel to immigration appeal cases on an annual basis for the last three years for which figures are available.

§ The Attorney-General
The information requested is set out in the table.
The Birmingham Six appeals will be heard by Lord Justice Lloyd, Lord Justice Mustill and Lord Justice Farquharson.

§ Mr. Mullin
To ask the Attorney-General if discussions have taken place between the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Lord Chief Justice regarding the management of the case of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.
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§ The Attorney-General
Any discussions which the Director of Public Prosecutions might have with the judiciary in his official capacity would be confidential and would not be disclosed.