§ 32. Mr. Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy)How many Crown prosecutors at each level of seniority there were in the post in each year since 1995; and if she will make a statement. [23866]
§ The Solicitor-General (Ms Harriet Harman)Rather than reading out the tables relating to the five grades of Crown prosecutor over the last six years, let me tell the hon. Gentleman that I have arranged for the information to be put on the Law Officers website. I can summarise it by saying that in 1995 there were 2,218 Crown prosecutors, and in 2000 there were 1,922.
§ Mr. LlwydHow many prosecutors have been female, and how many have been members of ethnic minorities? What efforts are being made to increase recruitment in those groups?
§ The Solicitor-GeneralI will supply the hon. Gentleman with the exact percentages, but I can tell him 668 now that there are relatively more female and ethnic-minority lawyers in the Crown Prosecution Service than in private practice. We welcome that, and want to build on it.
One of the ways in which we attract women to the CPS is to provide much more flexible employment, and much more family-friendly terms and conditions, than they would find either in private practice or at the independent Bar. But we need to go further. We must not just recruit ethnic-minority lawyers at the basic level, but ensure that they move up the system and become higher-court advocates. I hope that they join the judiciary as well, so that we can play a part in its diversification.
§ Mr. Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port and Neston)Will my right hon. and learned Friend ensure that Crown prosecutors take account of the interests of victims and their families, especially in prosecutions relating to traffic incidents?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. That question is far too wide.