§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing his target of halving the time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders. [70612]
§ Mr. BoatengThe pledge to halve the time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders is aimed at reducing unnecessary delay and improving efficiency. Experience in those areas running fast tracking schemes indicates that the initiatives are generally cost neutral and, in some cases, have already resulted in savings through increased efficiency.
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 introduced a range of measures which will help to deliver the pledge by strengthening the ability of the court to manage cases and making procedural changes to ensure delays are avoided. The costs or savings of these measures—which cover both youth and adult cases—will be assessed following the pilots which are now in progress.
508W
§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from (i) youth courts and (ii) other agencies about the implementation of fast-tracking for persistent young offenders. [70613]
§ Mr. BoatengWe are in regular contact on this issue with practitioners from all of the youth justice agencies, including the courts, through correspondence and attendance at youth justice seminars and conferences. The responses to a Home Office survey of all youth court areas in England and Wales conducted in April 1998 indicated that 160 youth court areas now have a fast tracking scheme. A further survey this year has yet to be completed, but is already confirming that the number of schemes continues to grow.
§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown, for each of the last three years, of the sentencing decisions made in respect of (i) persistent young offenders and (ii) all young offenders.[70619]
§ Mr. BoatengThe sentencing decisions in respect of persistent young offenders (as defined in joint Home Office/Lord Chancellor's Department Circular "Measuring Performance to reduce delays in the youth court system") have not been routinely identified in the past, but plans are in place to do so in future. Information is collected about all young people aged 10–17 sentenced for indictable offences by type of sentence or order. The following table contains a breakdown for each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Persons aged 10 to 17 sentenced for indictable offences by sex and type of sentence or order—England and Wales Persons/year 1995 1996 1997 Total number of persons sentenced 42,166 44,302 46,301 Absolute or conditional discharge 14,066 14,160 14,457 Fine 4,641 4,671 5,016 Probation order 1,594 1,879 1,996 Supervision order 8,064 8,539 8,728 Community service order 2,667 2,799 2,972 Attendance centre order 4,981 4,880 4,943 Combination order 775 1,020 1,279 Curfew order — 10 47 Young offender institution 4,326 4,979 5,358 S53 CYP Act 1933 401 635 748 Otherwise dealt with 651 730 777 Total immediate custody 4,326 4,979 5,358 Total community sentences 18,081 19,127 19,945 source:
CCJU (RDS) IOS 110–99.xls