§ 28. Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to speed up the process for bringing young offenders to trial. [95017]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeMeasures in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to reduce criminal justice delays have now been successfully piloted and start operating across England and Wales today. We are also starting pilots for statutory time limits in selected youth courts.
§ 36. Ms Bridget PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent measures he has taken to deal with persistent young offenders. [95025]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeWe are working with the youth justice services to halve the time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders. This should cut offending on bail and enable quicker action to tackle offending behaviour. The Youth Justice Board has recently issued new practical guidance, and is helping local areas to produce joint improvement plans to ensure that the target will be achieved.