HC Deb 26 July 1993 vol 229 cc523-5W
Dr. Godman

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many cases defence counsel have objected to the use of video-link television equipment for the purpose of interviewing child witnesses and other vulnerable witnesses in each of the past three years; of these objections, how many were accepted by the court; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The information sought by the hon. Member is not collected, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Dr. Godman

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many cases and in which courts video link television equipment has been used for the purpose of interviewing child witnesses and other vulnerable witnesses outwith the actual court room in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The number of cases in which child witnesses has given evidence via live television links at suitably equipped Crown court centres is set out in the table provided in answer to the hon. Member's previous question.

Dr. Godman

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many court cases a screen has been used in order to shield child witnesses from those being proceeded against in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The hon. Member asked a similar question on 16 November last year, to which I gave an answer that the information was not collected. I am pleased to be able to report that from 1 January 1993 my Department introduced a mechanism for collecting this information in the Crown court. Since that date there have been 18 reported cases in which a screen has been used to shield a child witness in court.

Dr. Godman

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many courts have video-link television equipment installed for the purpose of interviewing child witnesses and other vulnerable persons; where such courts are located; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor

Live television link equipment, for the purpose of children giving evidence under the provisions of section 32 Criminal Justice Act 1988, has been installed at the 47 Crown court centres listed in the table, which also provides the answer to the hon. Member's further question.

TV links statistics
Court 1989 Used 1990 Used 1991 Used 1992 Used
Birmingham 10 26 16 18
Bradford — — — 0
Bristol — — 4 4
Caernarfon — — — 0
Cardiff — — 12 10
Carlisle — — — 0
Central Criminal Court 4 4 3 2
Chelmsford 11 4 16 7
Chester — — 0 0
Croydon — — — 1
Derby* — — — —
Exeter 2 7 4 1
Gloucester — — — 2
Grimsby — — — 1
Guildford 7 5 7 3
Harrow — — — 0
Hull — — — 0
Ipswich* — — — —
Kingston upon Thames* — — — —
Leeds 3 8 17 13
Leicester — — 6 0
Lewes — — — 0
Lincoln — — — 0

Court 1989 Used 1990 Used 1991 Used 1992 Used
Liverpool 16 11 13 6
Luton* — — — —
Maidstone 15 18 4 3
Manchester 2 6 1 0
Mold 9 3 1 1
Newcastle — — 11 5
Northampton — — 1 1
Norwich — — 2 1
Nottingham 16 15 14 3
Peterborough* — — — —
Plymouth — — — 0
Portsmouth — — — 1
Preston — — 1 0
Reading — — 1 0
St. Albans — — — 0
Sheffield — — 5 3
South wark 2 6 5 7
Stafford — — 0 0
Swansea 6 15 3 3
Teesside — — — 0
Truro — — — 0
Winchester 5 0 5 0
Wolverhampton — — 3 3
Woolwich* — — — —

Installation of equipment at the courts marked "*" took place in 1993