§ 34. Mr. MackinlayTo ask the Solicitor-General what discussions he has had on the handling of decisions on whether to prosecute in espionage cases following the Intelligence and Security Committee's report dealing with the case of Mrs. Melita Norwood. [127065]
The Solicitor-GeneralAs the report of the Intelligence and Security Committee indicates, procedures for reviewing cases for possible prosecution have been strengthened. While criteria exist for prosecutions, the Security Service has agreed to send all material relevant to prosecutions to the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers on a trial basis for 12 months. This will allow the Law Officers to assess when a prosecution is possible for all cases and validate these criteria for future use.