Written question asked by David Davis (Conservative) on Tuesday, 25 March 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 31 March 2003. It was answered by Yvette Cooper (Labour) on Monday, 31 March 2003 on behalf of the Lord Chancellor's Department.

Lord Chancellors Dept

Question: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many youth court cases in the East Riding of Yorkshire have had to be abandoned because the (a) accused and (b) witnesses failed to attend in each year since 1997. - Inc figures and fact that this info is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Answer: David Davis: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many youth court cases in the East Riding of Yorkshire have had to be abandoned because the (a) accused and (b) witnesses failed to attend in each year since 1997. [105198] Yvette Cooper: This information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Data on the reasons why trials fail to proceed has been collected from all Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCC) areas since 1 April 2002. In the Humberside MCC area, (which includes the East Riding of Yorkshire) 1 April and 31 December 2002, 2,043 trials were recorded. None were recorded as discontinued, but 170 had to be adjourned due to the absence of the defendant. Forty three were discontinued by the prosecution due to the absence, or withdrawal, of witnesses. A further 206 were adjourned because of the absence of prosecution witnesses. These figures include adult and youth cases and they cannot be apportioned between the two categories, without incurring disproportionate cost.

Secondary information