HC Deb 28 January 1999 vol 324 cc354-6W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of defendants charged with an either way offence and electing for trial in the Crown Court pleaded guilty or had their case disposed of without a trial in the Crown Court(a) in each of the last 10 years before 1 October 1997 and (b) since 1 October 1997. [67572]

Mr. Boateng

The information is not collected centrally.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he had made of the operation of section 49 of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996; and if he will make a statement. [67578]

Mr. Boateng

Section 49 of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, which has been in force since October 1997, provides for defendants in either-way cases to be asked to indicate their plea before the magistrates decide whether to accept or decline jurisdiction. The objective was to allow cases which would previously have been committed for trial, and in which a guilty plea was indicated, to be dealt with more quickly, either by the magistrates themselves where the appropriate sentence (after any discount for the guilty plea) was within the court?s powers, or if not through being committed to the Crown Court for sentence.

It is too early to make a final assessment of the effect of this provision. The indications so far are that substantially fewer cases are being committed for trial, but that there has also been a significant increase in the numbers committed for sentence. It is estimated (on the basis of data up to June last year) that committals for trial have fallen by 1,500 defendants a month and committals for sentence have risen by 1,300 defendants a month. Work is in hand to assess whether there is scope for magistrates? courts to dispose of more of the cases which they now commit for sentence.

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of defendants charged with an either way offence elected for trial in the Crown Court(a) in each of the 15 years before 1 October 1997 and (b) since 1 October 1997. [67571]

Mr. Boateng

The question cannot be answered from the data collected centrally. However, data from the Attorney-General on the proportion of Crown Prosecution Service either way cases committed for trail to the Crown Court and finalised following the election by the defendant since the year ending September 1988 (earliest year ending September available) are as follows:

Police net revenue expenditure 1989–90 to 1998–99
£000
1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–991
Avon and Somerset 95,221 102,351 111,509 124,322 132,421 138,921 147,750 152,087 152,673 167,417
Bedfordshire 32,079 35,599 39,212 44,210 47,958 50,937 55,399 56,627 58,570 62,317
Cambridgeshire 38,444 42,364 47,116 50,027 55,776 57,371 63,089 65,024 68,681 71,230
Cheshire 57,810 62,370 66,960 72,966 79,593 83,254 93,715 94,177 104,005 106,523
City of London 35,285 37,074 40,820 44,246 49,858 51,679 57,541 57,317 57,893 60,862
Cleveland 46,995 51,560 54,802 59,802 63,156 65,412 71,258 73,108 75,426 82,282
Cumbria 35,858 39,961 45,080 49,501 51,698 53,200 55,262 56,856 61,709 63,000
Derbyshire 58,972 61,261 66,048 75,750 78,207 82,924 88,291 90,420 95,641 100,894
Year ending September Percentage
1988 46
1989 43
1990 39
1991 36
1992 37
1993 36
1994 35
1995 33
1996 33
1997 28
1998 28

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of either way cases were dealt with by magistrates courts(a) in each of the 10 years before 1 October 1997 and (b) since 1 October 1997; [67574]

(2) what proportion of either way cases were committed for sentence by the magistrates courts to the Crown Court (a) in each of the 10 years before 1 October 1997 and (b) since 1 October 1997. [67576]

Mr. Boateng

The information is given in the table.

Defendants proceeded against at magistrates? court since 1987 for either way offences, England and Wales
Year Percentage committed to the Crown Court for sentence Percentage dealt with at magistrates? courts1
1987 1 78
1988 1 79
1989 1 79
1990 1 80
1991 2 81
1992 1 83
1993 1 84
1994 1 84
1995 1 85
1996 1 85
1997 January-September 1 84
1997 October-December 3 83
19982 January-June 4 85
1Excludes defendants committed to the Crown Court for sentence
2Estimated