(2) how many case conclusions involving recordable offences have so far been identified as not having been placed on the Police National Computer in (a) Leeds and (b) England and Wales;
(3) how many Leeds magistrates court employees (a) have been and (b) are the subject of disciplinary proceedings related to the (i) recording of outcomes of cases, (ii) updating of the Police National Computer and (iii) withdrawal of warrants; when such disciplinary proceedings began; and what the outcomes were of those proceedings which have been completed;
(4) pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 November 2007, Official Report, columns 44-46WS, on Leeds magistrates court, in what ways the Government’s 2006 guidance was breached in those cases where a warrant was withdrawn in error;
(5) how many defendants due to come before Leeds magistrates court have been identified as having had warrants wrongly withdrawn.
I refer the hon. Member to my written statement on 29 November 2007, Official Report, columns 44-46WS, on Leeds magistrates courts. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Courts Administration has been asked to work with the chief inspectors for the constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service, to conduct a thorough inspection and prepare a report to Ministers on the resulting and warrant processes at Leeds magistrates court.
An experienced judge, district judge (magistrates court) Tony Browne, has also been appointed to conduct an investigation of the judicial responsibilities of legal advisers at Leeds magistrates court. We have also started investigating the national processes and practices for withdrawing warrants across the CIS agencies. HMCS have also been asked to look again at the information they gathered in their pro-active national review of the effectiveness of resulting processes in magistrates courts (in January 2007), and report on any outstanding issues.
It is these inspections and investigations which should provide the reliable data of the kind sought by the hon. Member.
It would be wrong to pre-empt the outcome of those investigations. I will make a further statement to the House on the findings and facts relating to all these matters, the action that has been taken and the action that will be taken when the investigations have concluded. The inspectorate report will be published to Parliament.