§ Mr. LeslieTo ask the Attorney-General if he will assess the advantages of the Crown Prosecution Service consulting victims of crime about the progress and status of their cases. [12478]
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe victim's charter, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, sets out 27 standards of service that victims of crime can expect from criminal justice agencies including the Crown Prosecution service. These include best endeavours by the police to keep victims informed of significant developments in their case and asking about any fears the victim may have about further victimisation and details of loss, damage or injury. The Crown Prosecution service will taken this information, together with other known views of the victim, into account when making their decisions. Direct consultation between the CPS and victims is not normally appropriate since the victim will in most cases also be a prosecution witness.
Two schemes aimed at improving arrangements for keeping victims informed of progress in their case and ensuring that their interests are taken into account are at present being evaluated. In addition, the independent review of the Crown Prosecution Service will also consider ways to enable the Crown Prosecution Service to inform victims of crime about prosecution decisions.