§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the reform of the right to silence as implemented by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; and if he will assess the advantages of returning the law to the previous position on the right to silence. [26297]
§ Mr. MichaelThe Home Office Research and Statistics Directorate has been monitoring the effects of the 1994 right to silence legislation since its introduction. The findings of the first part of the research, published last December, covered the changes in the frequency of the suspect's use of the right to silence in police interviews. The key findings were a significant reduction in the use of right to silence in police interviews. This reduction applied to both the number of suspects giving complete "no comment" interviews and those who refused to answer questions on a selective basis. The research also shows that those accused of serious offences still exercise their right of silence more frequently than other criminals. The second part of the research is due to be published in the spring and will look at the wider impact of the provisions on the criminal justice system. I shall take a close interest in the findings of this research.