§ Vernon CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he has made for the review of the conspiracy provisions in the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998. [21429]
§ Mr. BlunkettI am please to say that Lord Carlile of Berriew QC has accepted my invitation to carry out the annual review of the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998.
340Wmagistrates courts for cases triable either-way which were contested in each year since 1987; [19731]
(4) how many (a) contested cases, (b) convictions after trial and (c) acquittals there were in (i) magistrates courts and (ii) Crown courts in each year since 1987; [19728]
(5) how many (a) either-way and (b) other cases were committed to Crown court for sentence after trial in a magistrates court in each year since 1999. [19558]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyInformation collected centrally by the Home Department does not include information on the number of defendants charged with triable either-way offences who consented to trial in a magistrates court, nor does it contain details on defendants' plea at magistrates courts (nor, therefore, data on the number of contested cases), nor information on whether defendants elect Crown court trial or are directed there.
I am informed by the Lord Chancellor's Department that the average time by stage of proceedings for triable either-way cases is not available centrally.
The available information is contained in Tables A and B. Table A provides figures on the number of defendants who pleaded "not guilty" for the principal offence at Crown court, who were either convicted or acquitted in England and Wales, for the years 1995 to 2000. Plea data at the Crown court were not collected centrally by this Department before 1996.
Table B shows the numbers of defendants who were committed for sentence at the Crown court for triable either-way offences and all other offences for England and Wales, for the years 1999 and 2000.
Written observations about the operation of the Act should be submitted to Lord Carlile c/o room 324, 3rd Floor, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London, SW1H 9AT by 31 April 2002.