asked the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of the Section 1 committal procedure upon the number of cases going for trial.

None. It was suggested in evidence to the Interdepartmental Committee on The Distribution of Criminal Business between the Crown Court and Magistrates' Courts that a significant number of cases were committed for trial on evidence which did not justify a committal. The committee was unable to establish the validity of this opinion; to try to do so would, in its view, have involved a detailed and lengthy study which would probably have been inconclusive. No assessment was, therefore, attempted by the committee. I accept the committee's conclusion that it would be unproductive to attempt such an assessment.