§ 36. Mr. Geraint DaviesTo ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the co-operation between the Crown Prosecution Service, the police and the courts in reducing the average time taken between arrest and sentencing of criminals. [131300]
The Solicitor-GeneralThe Crown Prosecution Service is continuing to improve working practices with the police and courts to improve performance, building on recommendations made by both the Narey report and Glidewell. Measures taken include: advance information in every early hearing case; a reduction in the number of first hearings; more lawyer time spent on preparing for trials though the deployment of designated caseworkers; and reducing duplication and delay by moving towards co-locating CPS staff with police staff in joint criminal justice units.