§ Lord Windleshamasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress they have made to fulfil their manifesto pledge at the 1997 general election to halve the time between arrest and sentencing for persistent young offenders. [HL2701]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)In 1996, the average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders was 142 days. The Government are committed to halving this by March 2002. We are making continuing good progress—the national average had fallen to 108 days in 1999.