HC Deb 30 October 2003 vol 412 cc430-2
20. Tony Lloyd (Manchester, Central)

How many prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service has undertaken against (a) serving and (b) former members of the Greater Manchester police force since 1997. [135224]

The Solicitor-General (Ms Harriet Harman)

In 2001, 19 serving police officers in Greater Manchester were convicted of criminal offences. Nationally, in the year ending April 2002, 188 serving police officers were convicted of criminal offences. Those are the conviction figures. I am afraid that I do not have the figures for the number of prosecutions, but any file of evidence against a serving police officer will be considered by the Crown Prosecution Service in accordance with the code for Crown prosecutors, which requires them to be satisfied that there is sufficient evidence and a sufficient public interest in favour of a prosecution.

Tony Lloyd

I am grateful to my right hon. and learned Friend for that answer. May I draw her attention to the recent documentary, "The Secret Policeman"? The journalist who made the programme was employed as a trainee and, in fact, eventually passed out and was employed as a serving police officer. My right hon. and learned Friend mentions the public interest test in prosecutions. May I put it to her very strongly that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute a journalist whose exposure of racism in the police force did the nation a service? It would be far better for the senior police to be involved in ensuring that we drive the racists out of the police force.

The Solicitor-General

I take note of what my hon. Friend says, but perhaps I may remind him that the decision is made independently by the CPS. The Attorney-General and I superintend the CPS, and we account to the House for its decisions. I know that my hon. Friend will agree that the decision about whether to prosecute any individual must be taken independently by the CPS, but it is right that he should have the opportunity, as the local Member of Parliament, to say what he believes is in the public interest. There is a lot of concern that racism should be rooted out of the police, and Greater Manchester police and my colleagues in the Home Office are very concerned about that, too.

Mr. Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath)

Although I agree with a number of the points that the Solicitor-General has just made, she will recognise the great concern about this matter among Members on both sides of the House, and not just about the issues raised by the hon. Member for Manchester, Central (Tony Lloyd). Will she give an undertaking that there will be full all-party consultations with the Director of Public Prosecutions, herself and the Attorney-General as this matter progresses? I entirely agree that decisions about prosecuting individuals must be taken by the CPS and the DPP. Although we have expressed reservations about the choice of the new DPP, about whom I have recently been in correspondence with the Attorney-General, we would nevertheless wish to have all-party meetings. Does she recognise that that would very much be a way to take into account the public interest and the views of all parties?

The Solicitor-General

The hon. Gentleman raises a number of issues. In response to his question, perhaps I can take the opportunity to place on record how grateful we are to the DPP, David Calvert-Smith, for his work—he finishes his work this week and has seen the service make tremendous strides forward—and to say that the Attorney-General and I have complete and total confidence in the new DPP, who I am sure will carry on his good work.

The hon. Gentleman asks whether we will carry on cross-party discussions on issues of concern. That is very much what the Attorney-General and I seek to do at all times. In essence, the Law Officers' posts are not party political—the prosecution service should be independent—so we always seek to hold discussions with Front-Bench and Back-Bench Opposition Members, as well as our own Back Benchers, on the most open basis.

If, however, the hon. Gentleman is asking me whether it would be a good idea for him to meet me and the Attorney-General to discuss the case so that we can make representations to the DPP, I am afraid that the answer has to be no for the reasons that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Tony Lloyd). The way is open for him to seek a meeting with the DPP or with the prosecutors concerned. We have to be absolutely clear about the constitutional position and protect the independence of our prosecutors, which I know he sees as important.