HC Deb 04 November 1993 vol 231 cc372-3W
Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the number and percentage of cases dealt with at first appearance at the juvenile court and subsequently youth court for each of the last five years(a) in England and Wales and (b) in each region for England and Wales;

(2) what was the average length of time from offence to charge or summons for juveniles in each of the last five years (a) in England and Wales and (b) in each region of England and Wales;

(3) what was the average length of time from first appearance to completion of a case at the juvenile court and subsequently youth court for each of the last five years (a) in England and Wales and (b) in each region for England and Wales;

(4) what was the average length of time from charge or summons to first listing in the juvenile and subsequently youth court for each of the last five years (a) in England and Wales and (b) in each region for England and Wales.

Mr. Maclean

The readily available information, which is collected in selected sample weeks in February, June and October of each year for indictable offences—including either way—is given in the table. Information from the 1993 samples will be available in early 1994.

Average time taken for indictable proceedings1 in juvenile courts2 by stage of proceedings and area, 1989 to 1992
Drugs/percentage
Area/year Average number of days from
Offence to charge or summons Charge or summons to first listing First listing to completion Offence to completion Percentage completed on first listing Numbers of defendants in sample
London
1989 42 18 68 128 13 363
1990 44 19 87 150 10 326
1991 45 19 76 141 11 292
1992 54 18 66 137 20 323
Other Metropolitan districts
1989 42 21 60 123 16 543
1990 48 20 75 143 13 582
1991 42 21 73 136 13 610
1992 44 20 72 135 13 651
Non-Metropolitan Counties
1989 55 25 58 137 17 1,054
1990 50 24 55 130 15 998
1991 53 25 61 139 17 895
1992 43 24 57 123 15 1,028
England and Wales
1989 49 22 60 132 16 1,960
1990 49 22 67 138 13 1,906
1991 48 23 67 138 15 1,797
1992 45 22 63 129 15 2,002
1 Based on all indictable proceedings completed in sample weeks in February, June and October of each year.
2 Youth courts from 1 October 1992.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to set targets for completion of each stage of the criminal justice process from offence to caution or completion of the court case in relation to juvenile offenders.

Mr. Maclean

Following implementation of recommendations from the pre-trial issues working group, a number of such targets applying to the court process are already in place for adults as well as juveniles. In addition, there are statutory limits governing the length of time that defendants can be held in custody while on remand. I do not intend to set time limits for the issuing of cautions.

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