§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Solicitor-General how often members of the Crown Prosecution Service have met the family of someone killed as a result of a crime to explain their decision on prosecution, broken down by region, in each year since the inception of this initiative. [37071]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 25 February 2002]: One of the responsibilities of the Crown Prosecution Service under the current Victims' Charter, published 1996, is to meet on request the family of someone killed as a result of a crime, to explain decisions about prosecutions.
The figures for the number of such meetings held are collated each year and published in the Crown Prosecution Service's Annual Report. They are also submitted annually to the inter-agency Victims' Steering Group, which is charged with monitoring the Charter Standards for which the respective criminal justice agencies are responsible. Monitoring of the Charter Standards began in 1997.
In 1997–98, the Crown Prosecution Service records show that 100 per cent. of requests for meetings were granted. However, further statistics for that period are not available.
In the following year, 83 requests were received and all were granted. All meetings were held, with the exception of one which was cancelled at the request of the victim's family.
In 1999–2000, 102 requests were received and 101 granted, and meetings held in all these cases. One request was refused as the person making the request was a pivotal prosecution witness in two related cases that were ongoing, and it was not considered that a meeting would be appropriate.
1336WIn 2000–01, 118 requests were received, all of which were granted, and all meetings were held.
Figures for 2001–02 are not yet available but will be published in the forthcoming Annual Report.
A breakdown of the figures by area is as follows:
1337W
Victim's Charter monitoring—standard 9 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 Area Requests for interview Number granted Avon and Somerset 0 0 Bedfordshire 3 3 Cambridgeshire 2 2 Cheshire 0 0 Cleveland 2 2 Cumbria 0 0 Derbyshire 3 3 Devon and Cornwall 1 1 Dorset 0 0 Durham 0 0 Dyfed Powys 1 1 Essex 3 3 Gloucestershire 0 0 Greater Manchester 9 9 Gwent 1 1 Hampshire 0 0 Hertfordshire 2 2 Humber 0 0 Kent 1 1 Lancashire 3 3 Leicestershire 2 2 Lincolnshire 1 1 London 11 11 Merseyside 2 2 Norfolk 3 3 Northamptonshire 0 0 North Wales 0 0 North Yorkshire 3 3 Northumbria 4 4 Nottinghamshire 0 0 South Wales 1 1 South Yorkshire 0 0 Staffordshire See entry for West Midlands Suffolk 0 0 Surrey 0 0
Victim's Charter monitoring—standard 9 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 Area Requests for interview Number granted Sussex 7 7 Thames Valley 6 6 Warwickshire 0 0 West Mercia 5 5 West Midlands 1 1 West Yorkshire 4 4 Wiltshire 1 1 Central Casework 1 1 Total 83 83 1338W
1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 Area Requests for interview Number granted Avon and Somerset 4 4 Bedfordshire 6 6 Cambridgeshire 0 1 Cheshire 4 4 Cleveland 2 2 Cumbria 0 0 Derbyshire 1 1 Devon and Cornwall 1 1 Dorset 0 0 Durham 1 1 Dyfed Powys 3 3 Essex 0 0 Gloucestershire 7 7 Greater Manchester 8 8 Gwent 1 1 Hampshire 1 1 Hertfordshire 3 3 Humber 0 0 Kent 1 1 Lancashire 2 2 Leicestershire 6 6 Lincolnshire 1 1 London 9 9 Merseyside 4 4 Norfolk 1 1 Northamptonshire 3 3 North Wales 6 6 North Yorkshire 0 0 Northumbria 1 1 Nottinghamshire 1 1 South Wales 0 0 South Yorkshire 0 0 Staffordshire 2 2 Suffolk 2 2 Surrey 1 1 Sussex 7 6 Thames Valley 2 2 Warwickshire 1 1 West Mercia 4 3 West Midlands 1 1 West Yorkshire 1 1 Wiltshire 1 1 Central Casework 3 3 Total 102 101
1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 Area Requests for interview Number granted Avon and Somerset 1 1 Bedfordshire 4 4 Cambridgeshire 1 1 Cheshire 3 3 Cleveland 3 3 Cumbria 0 0 Derbyshire 1 1 Devon and Cornwall 3 3 Dorset 1 1 Durham 3 3 Dyfed Powys 2 2 Essex 2 2 Gloucestershire 3 3 Greater Manchester 2 2 Gwent 3 3 Hampshire 3 3 Hertfordshire 4 4 Humber 0 0 Kent 2 2 Lancashire 2 2 Leicestershire 4 4 Lincolnshire 2 2 London 7 7 Merseyside 6 6 Norfolk 1 1 Northamptonshire 4 4 North Wales 4 4 North Yorkshire 1 1 Northumbria 5 5 Nottinghamshire 2 2 South Wales 3 3 South Yorkshire 0 0 Staffordshire 2 2 Suffolk 4 4 Surrey 6 6 Sussex 0 0 Thames Valley 8 8 Warwickshire 0 0 West Mercia 5 5 West Midlands 0 0 West Yorkshire 5 5 Wiltshire 1 1 Central Casework 5 5 Total 118 118
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Solicitor-General what quality standards each Crown Prosecution Service region supports; and when registration was obtained. [35951]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 14 February 2002]: The CPS supports the Investment in People quality standard.
All CPS areas apart from CPS London, and HQ Directorates have been recognised as meeting the Investors in People quality standard for training and development of employees.