§ Mr. Nigel EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further progress has been made to reduce delays in coming to trial in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [9582]
§ Sir Patrick MayhewHon. Members will know that a system of administrative time limits has been operating since 1992, aimed at reducing the time defendants spend in custody awaiting trial on indictment.
On 7 December last year, in another place, my noble Friend Baroness Denton in reply to a question from Lord Hylton, Official Report House of Lords, column 87, set out the results of the scheme's first three years. She also 470W announced that the scheme would continue until at least 30 June 1996 and that from 1 November 1995 the overall target for cases to move from first remand to arraignment would be reduced from 11 months to 10 months.
I can now report on the scheme's first four years up to 30 June 1996. Over this period, 80 per cent. of defendants in custody awaiting trial for scheduled offences were arraigned within the set target. Over the past year, the average time to process such defendants has been maintained at 37 weeks. Ninety-five per cent. of non-scheduled defendants in custody also met the target, the average time again being maintained at 29 weeks. The latter is a particularly commendable achievement in the light of a substantial increase over the past year in the proportion of non-scheduled cases.
Worthwhile improvements have also been recorded in the period between arraignment and start of trial. Comparing 1993 with performance over the past year, the average wait for scheduled defendants has fallen from 28 weeks to 11 weeks and for non-scheduled defendants from 11 weeks to nine weeks.
The criminal justice agencies' efforts remain effective, whilst they also continue to explore other means of streamlining and accelerating procedures. In highlighting their effective progress in the operation of the scheme, I have decided to extend it until at least the end of June 1997.