§ 30. Mr. JenkinTo ask the Attorney-General if he will pay an official visit to the Crown Prosecution Service in Essex to discuss its performance.
§ The Solicitor-General (Sir Derek Spencer)I visited the Chelmsford branch of the Crown Prosecution Service on 23 February this year.
§ Mr. JenkinMay I draw my hon. and learned Friend's attention to the excellent working relationship between the Colchester police and the Crown Prosecution Service? Is not this an example that other forces should follow?
§ The Solicitor-GeneralNo visit to the Crown Prosecution Service is complete without a visit to the police administration support unit which serves it. The units ensure that files are properly prepared before the police submit them to the Crown Prosecution Service. When I was in Chelmsford, I found that there was excellent co-operation between administration support units and the CPS, including in the area to which my hon. Friend referred.
§ Mr. BerminghamDoes the Solicitor-General agree, having visited Colchester, as he visited other offices, that there is a persistent problem in the Crown Prosecution Service—the inconsistency in the decisions on whether to prosecute? Now that the number of areas has been reduced to 13, a greater consistency in prosecution policy should be achievable.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralWhen I went to Sheffield, I had a long talk with one of the senior Crown prosecutors, who is known to the hon. Gentleman. Like the Crown prosecutors at Chelmsford and Colchester, she made no such complaint.