§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Solicitor-General if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Vale of Clwyd, the effects on the Vale of Clwyd of his Department's policies and actions since May 1997. [151930]
§ The Solicitor-GeneralIn October 1998 the Colwyn Bay and Bangor offices of Crown Prosecution Service, North Wales, in liaison with the police and courts, became a Narey Pilot site. All defendants charged with a criminal offence now make their first appearance before local magistrates courts within 96 hours. Current information indicates that around 40 per cent. of defendants now have their cases finalised at that first hearing.
On 1 June 2000 the Crown Prosecution Service, North Wales altered its structures in line with the proposals contained in the Glidewell review to establish a Criminal Justice Unit and Trials Unit in Colwyn Bay. This enabled the Crown Prosecution Service to place greater emphasis on more serious crime proceeding to the Crown court.
The Crown Prosecution Service, North Wales is also piloting statutory time limits in youth cases and has worked together with the other agencies locally to speed up youth justice, particularly persistent young offenders. Since May 1997, the Crown Prosecution Service has reduced the time taken to finalise prosecutions arising in the Vale of Clwyd area, especially cases involving youth offenders. This has resulted in the target of 71 days being achieved in two of the quarters in if the current year. All these changes illustrate the Government's successful policy of speeding up the work of the criminal justice system.
North Wales is also piloting the Victim Information Bureau at Wrexham which provides detailed explanations to victims when cases are dropped or charges substantially amended. Meetings are also offered to victims in certain cases and so far, since the commencement of the pilot in April 2000, seven meetings have been held.
Action and policies of the Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Serious Fraud Office affect my hon. Friend's constituency only indirectly.