HC Deb 15 April 2002 vol 383 c754W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the measurable criteria are for the PSA target to respect the rights of defendants and to treat them fairly; and if he expects the target outturn specified on page 16 of the 2001 departmental report to be met by March. [47231]

Mr. Wills

Our target outturn is to achieve 100 per cent. improvement across a range of measures. An interdepartmental/agency working group has agreed that these targets are98 per cent. of prisons by March 2002 to have a Legal Services Officer so as to ensure that all prisoners receive information about legal services on reception and know who can assist them with applications for public funding; 50 per cent. of magistrates courts to have full access to a comprehensive courts-based bail information scheme by March 2002, rising to 80 per cent. by March 2003; 80 per cent. of prisons holding remand prisoners to have a bail information scheme by March 2002, rising to 90 per cent. by March 2003; 90 per cent. of people in police stations requesting the service of a duty solicitor to receive the service within 45 minutes by March 2002.

Information about progress on these targets will be published in the Department's 2002 departmental report.