§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce the percentage of ineffective trials in Merseyside. [170533]
§ Mr. LeslieFrom 1 April 2003 to 31t March 2004 the ineffective trial rate in Merseyside decreased from 36.7 per cent. to 34.8 per cent..
1743WThe following initiatives have recently been implemented in Merseyside to further reduce ineffective trials. The Effective Trial Management Programme (ETMP) was rolled out in February 2004. ETMP is part of the Government's Criminal Case Management Programme which incorporates the "Charging" and "No Witness, No Justice" initiatives, with a view to improving the criminal justice process. A fifth District Judge and an extra Deputy District Judge have been appointed to the Liverpool Magistrates' Court and a case progression system has been initiated to track the progress of all cases listed for trial. The impact of these will continue to improve performance in the Magistrates' Courts.
In the Crown Courts the latest figure for March 2004 is 25.1 per cent.