§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will make a statement on the delays in bringing cases to trial in Northern Ireland;
(2) if he will make a statement on the time served in custody on remand by people charged with offences under emergency legislation in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Hurd[pursuant to the reply, 19 December 1984, c. 217]: The Government continue to be concerned at the length of time taken to bring cases to trial and to complete the judicial process in Northern Ireland, especially in a small number of complex cases. A number of measures are being pursued, including the appointment already announced of an additional county court judge; but there is no one measure which is likely efficiently to reduce delays while allowing for the appropriate procedures and rights to be observed. I remain in touch with the Attorney-General and the Lord Chancellor in the hope of achieving improvement.