22 July 2008
Justice Minister Maria Eagle has made a statement on the publication of the HMCS business plan for 2008-09.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice (Maria Eagle):
The following list of key performance indicators has been set for Her Majesty's Courts Service for 2008 to 2009.
- To commence 78% of cases within the following time scales in the Crown Court:
- defendants' cases that are sent for trial within 26 weeks of sending
- defendants' committal for trial cases within 16 weeks of committal
- appeals within 14 weeks of the appeal
- committals for sentence within 10 weeks of committal.
- To speed up criminal cases in the magistrates' courts so that, for charged cases, the average time from charge to disposal - less than six weeks.
- Time taken to produce and send court results to the police (historical KPI):
- 95% court registers produced and despatched within three working days
- 100% court registers produced and despatched within six working days
- To achieve an 85% payment rate for financial penalties in the magistrates' courts.
- For 60% of all breached community penalties to be resolved within 25 working days of the relevant failure to comply.
- To increase the proportion of defended small claims that are completed otherwise than by court hearing to 65%.
- To increase the proportion of defended small claims that are completed (from issue to final hearing) within 30 weeks to at least 70%.
- Increase the amount of civil work initiated online - 55% of eligible possession claims through PCOL and 70% of specified money claims through MCOL.
- To ensure that 48% of care and supervision cases in the county court and 56% in the magistrates' court are completed within 40 weeks.
- To increase the proportion of residence and contact orders made by consent in the county courts (excluding cases involving allegations of harm) to at least 37% in each HMCS area.
- To increase the 'very satisfied' element of the HMCS court user satisfaction survey from the 2007/08 baseline.
More information on these and other key supporting targets are published in the HM Courts Service Business Plan for 2008-2009. Copies of the Business Plan for 2008-2009 have been placed in the libraries of both Houses. Copies are also available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office.