§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement concerning the pilot study of recommendation 92 of the inter-agency working group on pre-trial issues.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe pilot study has now been evaluated and the Lord Chancellor, the Home Secretary and the Attorney-General have received a report setting out its results. The inter-agency pre-trial issues steering group, which set up the pilot study, has recommended that the system under which magistrates' courts, when committing defendants to the Crown court for trial, fix a date upon which the case will be listed for a plea and directions hearing in the Crown court should be introduced on a national basis.
We, together with the Lord Chief Justice, welcome the report as a significant step towards a reduction in the number of cases which are listed for trial, with witnesses attending to give evidence, but which are not contested on the day. The percentage of such cases fell from 31 per cent. before the pilot to 18 per cent. during the pilot. The Lord Chancellor's Department is establishing an inter-agency implementation group to carry forward the implementation of the recommendation. Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.