§ 16. Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the provision of private sector remand places; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorWe are considering the results of the further study of the cost-effectiveness of private sector involvement in the remand system which my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) announced in his statement to the House on 1 March 1989. We hope to be able to announce a decision soon.
§ 84. Mr. FryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current number of remand prisoners held in police cells; and what it was one year ago.
§ 96. Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the latest figures for numbers of remand prisoners held in police cells; and what were the comparable figures six months and one year ago.
§ 139. Mr. Andrew MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current number of remand prisoners held in police cells; and what it was one year ago.
§ Mr. MellorYesterday, there were no remand prisoners held in police cells in England and Wales. Comparable figures for 21 July 1989 and 20 January 1989 were 192 and 277 prisoners respectively, most of whom were on remand.
§ 108. Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure that prisoners held on remand are brought to trial within a reasonable period.
§ Mr. John PattenOur aim is to reduce both the number of people remanded in custody and the time taken to deal with cases. Bail information schemes are now operating in 42 courts and widespread expansion is planned. These schemes enable the probation service to provide Crown prosecutors with better information on defendants, to help866W prosecutors decide whether they need to oppose bail. Resources have been provided for the provision of a further 500 places in bail hostels over the next three years.
Custody time limits, first introduced on a limited basis in 1987, are now in operation in most of England and Wales. We intend to extend their operation to the remaining areas—London and eight counties in the south-east—later this year.
Delays in the court system are also being tackled. In the magistrates courts, magistrates and clerks have been urged to concentrate on reducing delays and a new management information system is being introduced. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor, has taken steps to tackle delays in the Crown court through improved management and the provision of more resources including additional judges and new court rooms. Separate initiatives are in hand on committals procedure and the development of mode of trial guidelines for magistrates, with a view to reducing the numbers committed for trial and accelerating the procedure.