§ Lord Mulleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, despite the assurances by Lord Elton in reply to a Question on 1lth April (cols. 1266–7) that steps were to be taken to improve matters, it is true that lack of adequate prison staff and facilities continues to prevent prisoners and persons on remand in custody appearing in response to court orders, often despite assurances that they would so appear and usually without any prior notice of the expected failure for them to do so: and, if this is true, that instructions will be given to prison governors to give priority to these tasks and avoid wasting the time of the courts (and police witnesses in attendance) and causing unnecessary public expense.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Elton)I very much regret that, especially in the London area, we are still unable to fulfil every production of a prisoner in court. However, it is not possible to cut short the procedures for recruiting and training the additional staff to which I referred in my earlier reply on 25th April (HL Debates, Vol. 451, Col. 125). In the meantime, special arrangements designed to reduce the number of cancellations have been made with the Principal Chief Clerk of the Inner London Magistrates' Courts Service.