§ 33. Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in halving the time between arrest and sentencing for young offenders. [53543]
§ Mr. MichaelThe Government have asked all youth courts to set up fast tracking schemes for persistent young offenders. In the last 12 months the number of fast track schemes has grown from 12 to 160 in operation or planned in England and Wales. The scheme for all young offenders in North Hampshire has shown what can be achieved by cutting the average time taken from arrest to sentence from an average of 133 days to 61 days. This month we have introduced new monitoring arrangements and set demanding performance targets for all stages of proceedings up to and after trial and for all agencies. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 includes provisions to help courts to manage cases more quickly and effectively. Several measures, based on recommendations in the Narey review, are currently being piloted and the Act will enable statutory time limits to be set in cases involving young offenders.