§ Fiona MactaggartTo ask the Solicitor-General if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Slough constituency, the effects on Slough of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [146937]
§ The Solicitor-GeneralMy hon. Friend's constituency falls within the geographical area covered by the Thames Valley Area of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). In November 1999, in line with national policy, this area of the CPS, in liaison with the police and East Berkshire magistrates court, introduced the Narey proposals. All defendants charged with a criminal offence in the East Berkshire areas should make their first appearance before Slough magistrates court within 72 hours. This is in line with the Government's policy of speeding up and682W modernising the criminal justice system. The CPS holds no statistical information in relation to the Slough area alone.
On 1 April 2001, the Berkshire Branch of Thames Valley CPS will finalise its structure in line with proposals in the Glidewell Review. This represents a policy of more effective working between the police and prosecutors. A trial unit based in Reading will deal with serious crime at Reading Crown court. The CPS has set a goal the better handling of serious cases, in the interests of justice and the victims.
The CPS, together with other agencies, has been working to speed up youth justice, particularly persistent young offenders. All cases involving youth offenders in East Berkshire are now dealt with at one court centre in Maidenhead. The time taken for persistent youth cases has fallen from 145 days in 1997 to 97 days in the third quarter of 2000.
As a member of the Thames Valley Area Criminal Justice Strategy Committee, the CPS has been working to improve its response to the prosecution of racially aggravated offences. In May 2000 the Chief Crown Prosecutor addressed a conference held in Slough to launch the Report of the Committee's Race Sub-Group entitled, 'Race and Criminal Justice', to explain how the CPS approached prosecuting such cases. The CPS holds no statistical information which relates to the Slough area alone.
Neither the Treasury Solicitor's Department nor the Serious Fraud Office has policies which directly affect my hon. Friend's constituency.