To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to improve county court procedures to accelerate hearings.

On 6 April 1989 the Lord Chancellor announced the Government's acceptance of the civil justice review body's proposals and his strategy for implementing them. The proposals, which are to be implemented over a period of five years, include a wide range of measures to improve the handling of cases and speed up their progress to trial or hearing. A number have already been introduced administratively and by rule changes in June and October this year.

To ask the Attorney-General what is the average length of time it takes to obtain a county court hearing and judgment; and if he will list his answer in tabular form by courts.

The information is not available in the form requested. However, the time between a request being received for hearing and the next available date for trial is monitored on a monthly basis. Table A shows the average waiting time measured on this basis, for the county courts and the High Court. Table B shows the figures for county court trial centres at 31 May 1990 and 30 September 1990. Trial centres provide continuous hearings and it can be taken that judgment follows very shortly after the conclusion of the trial. Actual waiting time in particular cases varies according to the circumstances of a particular case, including such factors as the availability of key witnesses or the appearance of new evidence.