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<p>The Government pledged in “Our Commitment to Victims” to consider the needs of
victims and witnesses as we reform the court system. This will include upgrading facilities
such as separate waiting areas.</p><p> </p><p>All Crown Court Centres have separate
waiting facilities for victims and witnesses.</p><p>97% of magistrates’ courts have
some kind of separate witness waiting facility.[1] For those courts that do not have
this facility, special arrangements are put in place with advance notice.</p><p> </p><p>HM
Courts and Tribunals Service uses information about victims and witnesses in criminal
cases to ensure that individual trials are managed effectively and victims and witnesses
are not kept waiting around unnecessarily to give their evidence. We do not, however,
hold data on the number of victims and witnesses choosing to use the discrete waiting
areas.</p><p> </p><p>[1] Her Majesty’s Court Service Annual Report and Accounts 2009-2010</p><p>http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/corporate-reports/hmcs/annual-reports/HMCS-Annual-Report2009-2010-web.pdf?type=Finjan-Download&slot=000000A2&id=000000A1&location=0A64020C</p>
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