§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the change in the workload of the legal staff of the Department of Public Prosecutions over the past five years; and what changes there have been in delays in the legal process as a result. [34369]
§ Sir John WheelerThe number of case files received by the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland in each of the five years from 1990 to 1994 is as follows:
- 1990: 9,337
- 1991: 9,764
- 1992: 11,538
- 1993: 10,564
- 1994: 11,982
Since 1 July 1992 the progress of serious indicatable cases has been monitored under the administrative time limits scheme. I refer the hon. Member to the answers my right hon. and learned Friend gave the hon. Member for Belfast, South (Rev. Martin Smyth) on 23 November 1993, Official Report, columns 19–20, and my hon. Friend the Member Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 6 December 1994, Official Report, columns 165–66, regarding the results of that scheme. The workload of legal staff in the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions is one of a number of factors increasing the delay in bringing an accused person to trial.