§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 10 March 2004,Official Report, columns 1571–72W, on coroners' inquiries, what the average length of time in bringing 1272W cases before the coroners' courts in (a) North Yorkshire, (b) East Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) South Yorkshire was in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2003.[161972]
§ Paul GogginsIn 2002, the latest year for which figures are available, the average time taken to process an inquest in the four areas mentioned, from the time the death was reported to the coroner until the time the inquest was concluded, is calculated to be just under four and a half months. On the same basis, the average time taken in those four areas for the coroner to issue a certificate permitting a body to be released for burial or other disposal, in cases where an inquest was subsequently held, amounted to six days.
In 1997, in the same areas, the average time taken to process an inquest was just over three months, and to issue a certificate, five and a quarter days.