§ 36. Mr. FabricantTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many magistrates court trials over the last 12 months for which data are available were(a) delayed and (b) discontinued as a result of the non-arrival of witnesses for the prosecution. [159325]
§ Jane KennedyThe Lord Chancellors Department does not currently collect the information requested.
However, results from twice-yearly witness attendance monitoring exercises, conducted in all magistrates courts for a two-week period in June and November each year, indicates that the number of prosecution witnesses who were expected but did not attend court was 12 per cent. for June 2000 and 7 per cent. for November 2000.