HC Deb 11 March 1987 vol 112 cc197-8W
Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Attorney-General if he will detail the 31 Crown prosecution areas in the United Kingdom, giving the number of solicitors working in each unit, the original number of solicitors planned for each unit and any estimated increase in these numbers planned within twelve months.

The Attorney-General

The 31 areas of the Crown prosecution service are as listed, together with the details for each area of the present complement of lawyers; the number of lawyers actually in post; and the planned increase in complement during the next 12 months. For these purposes, the term "lawyers" refers both to barristers and to solicitors.

Area Existing complement of laywers Lawyers in post Planned increase in complements of lawyers
Avon and Somerset 36 36 6
Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire 42 23 5
Cambridgeshire/Lincolnshire 28 25 6
Cheshire 27 26 4
Cleveland/North Yorkshire 36 34 10
Cumbria/Lancashire 56 54 10
Derbyshire 25 18 3
Devon and Cornwall 30 30 7
Dorset/Hampshire 57 50 9
Durham/Northumbria 56 50 14
Dyfed Powys/North Wales 33 29 7
Essex 31 26 1
Gloucestershire/Wiltshire 24 20 3
Greater Manchester 93 85 29
Gwent/South Wales 68 59 8
Humberside 23 16 2
Inner London 152 75 —
Kent 40 34 4
Leicestershire/Northamptonshire 33 21 5
Merseyside 71 52 2
Norfolk/Suffolk 26 26 8
Nottinghamshire 33 37 6
Outer London (North) 88 52 12
Outer London (South) and Surrey 76 40 11
South Yorkshire 39 37 4
Staffordshire/Warwickshire 36 23 5
Sussex 35 31 6
Thames Valley 46 136 7
West Mercia 25 16 7
West Midlands 84 61 7
West Yorkshire 70 58 4
1 Plus ½ part time.

Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Attorney-General if he is satisfied with the manpower operations of the Leicester/ Northampton Crown prosecution unit and the London South/Surrey Crown prosecution unit; and whether there are to be specific increases in the number of Crown prosecution solicitors.

The Attorney-General

I am satisfied with the excellent work being done by all the staff, both legal and non-legal, in the two Crown prosecution areas to which my hon. Friend refers. However, there is a significant shortfall of lawyers in both areas, as indicated in my answer to the previous question, and the Director of Public Prosecutions is urgently considering what further steps should be taken to improve the position there and throughout the Crown prosecution service.