§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to reduce long waiting times before court hearings are heard.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe work of all courts is monitored to ensure the most effective use of resources to reduce delay for court users. Waiting times for cases vary considerably and are determined by several factors, some of which are outside the control of the courts.
In the Crown court, current initiatives include the introduction of plea and directions hearings to help reduce delays. More circuit judges have been appointed and plans have been made to increase the number of days sat in the Crown court.
With regard to civil cases, Lord Woolf is conducting a wide-ranging review of the rules and procedures in the civil courts, and Dame Margaret Booth is researching delay in Children Act cases.