HL Deb 15 May 1989 vol 507 cc1034-5WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they can confirm that pre-trial delays in criminal cases in Crown Courts and Magistrates' Courts were on average 56 days in 1987 compared with 29 days in 1977; whether there has been any improvement since 1987; what are the time-limits referred to by the Earl of Arran, (Official Report, 3rd May col. 143); and when they expect to receive the results of the survey of reasons for cases being adjourned.

Earl Ferrers

The figures referred to are the average number of days spent in custody by males before conviction. More recent provisional figures show little change between 1987 and 1988. Alternative sources of information on waiting times are published inJudicial Statistics 1987 (Cmnd. 428)for the Crown Court and in the Home Office Statistical Bulletins15/89 Statistics of the time taken to process indictable cases in magistrates' courts. Copies of these publications are in the Library. Figures for average waiting times are given in the table below.

Section 22 of the Prosecution of Olfences Act 1985 gave the power to make regulations limiting the period during which an accused may be held in custody awaiting completion of a stage in proceedings. Statutory limits were introduced in three areas on 1st April 1987, extended to several other areas in England and all Wales on Ist April 1988 and will be extended to 22 more counties in England and Wales from Ist June 1989.

There is a limit of 56 days from first appearance before magistrates to summary trial or 70 days to committal (the limit to committal in the Birmingham Magistrates' court is exceptionality set at 84 days.) There is a uniform limit of 112 days from committal to the taking of the plea at Crown Court. The first returns of the survey of reasons for adjournments are now being received; these will be processed and the results analysed during the summer.

Average waiting times for defendants remanded in custody No. of weeks
Crown Courts (1) Magistrates' Courts (2)
1977 8.9 not avail.
1987 9.8 6.7
1988 9.9 6.9
(1) Time from committal for trial to start of hearing for defendants remanded in custody at committal.
(2) Time from first appearance to completion of case in magistrates' court for defendants remanded in custody throughout proceedings. Figures for 1977 are not available.