HC Deb 05 April 1995 vol 257 cc1166-7W
Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what legal grounds a person called for jury service may be excused from jury service; and if he will list the different categories of people who are automatically exempt from jury service. [17097]

Mr. John M. Taylor

Section 9 (1) of the Juries Act 1974 gives a person the right to be excused from jury service if they are among the persons listed in part III of schedule 1 to the Act. The schedule is a lengthy one and a copy will therefore be sent to the hon. Member. The jury summoning officer may also use discretion and excuse a person from jury service if, pursuant to section 9 (2) of the Act, they are able to show good cause as to why they should be excused.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people were called for jury service in each of the last 10 years at(a) the Central Criminal court, (b) Inner London Crown court, (c) Middlesex Crown court and (d) Harrow Crown court; and what percentage of these people were excused from jury service on each of the legal grounds available. [17101]

Mr. John M. Taylor

The information cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
Number of Dissolutions 150,477 152,927 158,301 159,967 164,556
Adultery (per cent.) 29.26 28.80 28.26 27.59 27.02
Behaviour (per cent.) 44.34 45.37 46.28 46.20 45.32
Desertion (per cent.) 0.74 0.67 0.68 0.64 0.68
2 Year Separation with consent (per cent.) 19.14 18.77 18.58 19.38 20.75
5 Year Separation (per cent.) 6.00 5.86 5.70 5.74 5.81
Combination of Facts (per cent.) 0.28 0.27 0.24 0.22 0.21

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what costings his Department has done on the introduction of a national mediation service; what savings he expects to make by funding mediation services for divorcing couples and their children rather than legal aid; and when he intends to publish these costings. [17102]

Mr. John M. Taylor

The Lord Chancellor has no plans to establish a national mediation service. The Lord Chancellor is still examining possible arrangements for the funding of local mediation services in the context of his proposed Green Paper on publicly funded legal services, to be issued later in the spring.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many(a) trained mediators and (b) mediation centres he estimates will be needed to provide the necessary assistance for divorcing couples and their children. [17103]

Mr. John M. Taylor

The decisions which are made about how best to encourage a wider use of family mediation during the divorce process will determine what assessments are made of the numbers of mediators and mediation centres required to meet any additional demand.