§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics his Department collects in respect of defendants' pleas on arraignment (a) before Crown courts and (b) before magistrates' courts.
§ Mr. MellorInformation collected by the Department on court proceedings includes whether defendants pleaded guilty of not guilty when prosecuted for indictable offences at the Crown court or at magistrates' courts, and for some of the more serious summary offences at magistrates' courts. However, in 1980 the recording of this information was found to be inaccurate and despite subsequent efforts to improve the recording of plea, reliable information is not at present available from this source. However, I understand from my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor that his Department records the defendant's plea on arraignment at the Crown court and results are published annually in "Judicial Statistics" (tables 5.13 and 5.16 of the issue for 1983, Cmnd. 9370).