HC Deb 02 April 1992 vol 222 cc425-6W
Mr. Byers

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of defendants appearing in a Crown court changed their plea from not guilty to guilty for each of the court circuits in England and Wales in each year since 1989.

Mr. John M. Taylor

This information is not collected.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary. Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of defendants pleaded guilty in the Crown court for each of the court circuits in England and Wales in each year since 1989.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The information is set out in the table. The figures given are for those defendants who pleaded guilty to all counts. Data for 1992 are provisional and liable to revision to account for any late amendments.

Committals for trial: guilty pleas (per cent, of all1 defendants)
1989 1990 1991 1992
Midland and Oxford 82 83 79 77
North Eastern 86 86 84 83
Northern 80 80 78 77
South Eastern:
London 50 50 48 50
Provinces 64 64 61 60
Wales and Chester 73 72 73 70
Western 72 74 72 74
ENGLAND AND WALES 72 72 70 70
1 Excluding those defendants for whom bench warrants issued, no pleas recorded, indictment to lie on file, found unfit to plead and other results.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of defendants were found not guilty in Crown court cases for each of the court circuits in England and Wales in each year since 1989.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The table shows the percentage of defendants acquitted against the number of defendants who pleaded not guilty to all counts during each year since 1989. The 1992 figures are provisional and liable to revision to account for any late amendments.

Crown court trials: Per cent, of defendants who have pleaded not guilty to all counts acquitted
1989 1990 1991 1992
Midland and Oxford 52 58 60 51
North Eastern 54 62 54 55
Northern 55 56 59 63
South Eastern:
London 59 60 61 59
Provinces 55 55 57 56
Wales and Chester 53 51 47 50

1989 1990 1991 1992
Western 57 55 60 49
England and Wales 56 57 58 56

Mr. Byers

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average time a defendant had to wait between being charged with an offence and having his or her case heard in the Crown court for each of the court circuits in England and Wales in each year since 1989.

Mr. John M. Taylor

Figures for waiting times from date of charge are not available. The table shows the average waiting time in weeks between the date of committal for trial and the start of hearing. Data for 1992 are provisional and liable to revision to account for any late amendments.

Waiting Times: Committals for Trial (Weeks)
1989 1990 1991 1992
Midland and Oxford 9.04 8.30 9.21 12.66
North Eastern 12.06 12.64 13.55 15.86
Northern 11.76 12.09 11.05 12.04
South Eastern:
London 15.98 15.49 15.91 16.40
Provinces 13.07 13.23 14.30 13.31
Wales and Chester 7.93 8.31 8.06 9.36
Western 13.04 12.73 13.71 16.30
ENGLAND AND WALES 12.44 12.07 12.58 13.95