§ 36. Dr. George TurnerTo ask the Solicitor-General what progress is being made in speeding up the completion of court cases, with particular reference to cases involving persistent young offenders; and what role the Crown Prosecution Service is playing in this. [127067]
The Solicitor-GeneralThe Crown Prosecution Service is fully committed to playing its part in delivering the Government's pledge to reduce delays in the youth justice system, particularly with regard to persistent young offenders.
The figures (announced today) for the average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders in England and Wales in the first quarter of this year showed a fall from 108 days in 1999 to 96 in 2000. This compares with 125 days in 1998 and 141 days in 1997. This downward trend in the figures has been a continuing feature since the Government's Pledge.
At a national level, the Crown Prosecution Service has been, and continues to work closely with other Criminal Justice System partners; the Narey reforms and the new local good practice already introduced into the Youth Court will help to make further progress.