§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been in prison awaiting trial for periods above 12 months; what is the cost of keeping these people in prison; and when he expects them to have a chance of contesting the charges made against them in a court of law.
§ Mr. MayhewPrecise information can be made available only at disproportionate cost. It is estimated that on 30 November 1980 about 50 persons awaiting trial in prison department establishments in England and Wales had been remanded in custody more than 12 months earlier; some of them had spent some time on bail. On the cost of maintaining an inmate in custody I would refer to the answer given to the hon. Member on 23 January 1981.
For defendants elsewhere than in the South-East the average waiting time between committal and trial is about eight weeks; in the South-East it is just under 16 weeks. Special measures are being taken in the South-East to reduce delays between committal and trial.