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Solicitor-General

Answer

Mr. Trimble: To ask the Solicitor General what the average length of time between the date of report of crime and submission of final police report to the Director of Public Prosecutions was in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the average length of time taken by the Director of Public Prosecutions to deal with cases from first report to laying of formal charges was in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) broken down by (i) Crown court cases and (ii) Petty Sessions cases. [202761] The Solicitor-General: The Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland keeps records of the period from receipt of the police file to issue of direction. The average time taken is shown in the following table but excludes time spent on interim direction (time taken by the police to provide further necessary information sought by the Director): Average Days _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Direction type 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 to 30 September 2004 Indictable prosecution 100.5 117.9 98.8 Summary prosecution 51.3 60.6 47.2 All prosecution directions 65.5 75.7 64.1 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Figures are not available for the full five-year period requested because of a change in recording practice in 2001. The figures for 2004-05 are provisional. The Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland is currently running two Public Prosecution Service Pilot Schemes. The figures for the two pilots are not included in the table as they are compiled differently. Average days _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Direction type Belfast PPS Pilot Fermanagh and Tyrone PPS Pilot Indictable prosecution 86.6 98.3 Summary prosecution 21.5 37.8 All prosecution decisions 27.3 39.7 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. The figures for the Pilots include time spent on interim directions. All figures in this table are provisional. The Belfast PPS Pilot Scheme commenced 1 December 2003 and covers all offences committed in South Belfast PSNI District Command Unit and all youth offences committed in the Greater Belfast area. The Fermanagh and Tyrone PPS Pilot Scheme commenced 1 April 2004 and covers all offences committed in Cookstown, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Omagh and Strabane District Command Units. All figures shown relate solely to files received from PSNI.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

202761; 428 c656-7W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Administrative delays Indictable offences Northern Ireland Prosecutions Summary offences Northern Ireland Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk