§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what change there has been in the time between arrest and sentencing since May 1997 for young offenders in(a) West Mercia and (b) Shrewsbury Police Division; and if he will make a statement. [107168]
§ Jane KennedyInformation on the time between arrest and sentencing in 1997 is available for persistent young offenders only, not all young offenders.
The average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offender cases initiated in West Mercia Police Area was 155 days in 1997, and an estimated 88 days in January to June 1999—the most recent figure from the same source. This amounts to a reduction of 67 days. Figures for May 1997 alone and Shrewsbury Police Division are not separately available.