Courts Charter (Hansard, 20 December 1994)

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many complaints have been received and what amount of compensation for errors and delays has been paid out by county courts in(a) London and (b) the rest of England and Wales for each month since the implementation of the courts charter.

Mr. John M. Taylor
It is not possible to provide the information requested in the time available. I will give the hon. Member a written reply before the House reassembles.

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which court has(a) received the most complaints and (b) had to pay out the most compensation for errors and delays since the implementation of the courts charter; and what plans he has for regular publication of the figures for compensation payments.

Mr. John M. Taylor
It is not possible to obtain the information requested in the time available. I will provide the hon. Member with a written reply before the House reassembles. There are no plans for regular publication of these figures.

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of jurors outside London currently sit on trials for at least 70 per cent. of the days that they attend court; and what percentage of jurors within London sit on trials for at least 85 per cent. of the days that they attend court, as stipulated by the courts charter.

Mr. John M. Taylor
Performance against the courts charter target is measured by the percentage of juror attendance days spent on trials. During the period April to October 1994, the figures for outside London and within London were 72.4 per cent. and 87.4 per cent. respectively.

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of defendants(a) in custody and (b) on bail are not dealt with in the target times set out in the courts charter; what number of defendants (i) in custody and (ii) on bail this affects on average each month; how many defendants in custody have had to wait more than (1) three months, (2) six months and (3) 12 months before trial; and what percentages of defendants in custody these numbers represent.

Mr. John M. Taylor
The available information covering the period April to October 1994 is shown in the table. Statistics on the number of defendants in custody waiting more than 12 months before trial at the Crown court and the distribution of waiting times at magistrates courts are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
1008W

Waiting times at the Crown Court: Defendants committed for trial dealt with during April to October 1994

Defendants exceeding waiting time limit

Type of remand and waiting time limit Percentage Average number per month

Custody

8 weeks 56 1,266

12 weeks 36 827

26 weeks 12 268

Bail

16 weeks 39 2,565

Waiting times at the Crown Court: Defendants committed for trial dealt with during April to October 1994
	Defendants exceeding waiting time limit
Type of remand and waiting time limit	Percentage	Average number per month
Custody
8 weeks	56	1,266
12 weeks	36	827
26 weeks	12	268
Bail
16 weeks	39	2,565