HC Deb 22 February 1993 vol 219 cc417-8W
Mr. Soley

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he will publish the cost of(a) implementing computer-assisted transcription in the crown courts, the High Court and the Court of Appeal since March 1988, including training costs and (b) introducing tape recording as a means of taking official records in the crown courts, the High Court and the Court of Appeal in the same period.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The cost of implementing(a) computer aided transcription—CAT—and (b) of introducing tape recordings in the Supreme Court, under the court reporting contracts in place since June 1988, was met by contractors under the terms of their contracts and the information is not available to my Department.

Between 1 April 1988 and 31 December 1992 my Department paid £753,450.79 in training grants to contractors. This sum related almost entirely to the training of CAT operators to assist the contractors in meeting the terms of their contracts, but it is not possible to isolate the exact amount.

The cost of the new tape recording equipment presently being installed in the crown court and comined court centres, together with the cost of tapes over the first year, is £833,000. This sum also includes the cost of some additional county court equipment.

Mr. Soley

To ask the Parliamentary Sceretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what is his Department's policy in respect of supporting computer-assisted transcriptions as a method of keeping offical shorthand records of proceedings in court;

(2) what policy changes have taken place within his Department in relation to the use of verbatim reporters using computer-assisted transcription for recording proceedings in law courts from 1 March 1992 until 14January;

(3) what was the basis for his decision to reduce the number of law courts designated as computer-assisted transcription courts between 1988 and 1992; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor

My Department's policy is that CAT should be retained as a court reporting method, but that it should be directed to those courtrooms where its potential attributes, in terms of the speed of delivery of accurate transcript and information technology might be best utilised.

There have been no changes in policy between 1 March 1992 and 14 January 1993. The present court reporting contracts expire on 31 March 1993. In establishing the requirement for CAT in the new contracts, the Department has taken into account the experience gained over the past four years. CAT will be required at courts hearing the most lengthy and complex cases and from which the greatest demand for transcripts arise. In addition, contractors are not barred from using CAT in other courtrooms if they wish.

The new contracts provide for CAT in 179 courtrooms at 35 court centres. The Royal Courts of Justice and the Central Criminal Court will continue to have CAT in every courtroom which currently has CAT.