§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Solicitor-General what plans she has(a) to give the CPS a greater role in the investigatory stage of cases and (b) to encourage it to assess the evidence earlier. [64436]
§ The Solicitor-General:The reforms of the CPS since this Government came into office in 1997 mean that the CPS now works more closely with the police. But there is more to do. Since February this year, pilot studies have been conducted to assess the practicability of Lord Justice Auld's recommendation that the Crown
626WThe Crown Prosecution Service produces quarterly summaries of unsuccessful case outcomes from information drawn from its various case tracking systems. This year the CPS and the police have begun to develop a joint case outcome analysis which builds on these two processes and will focus on avoidable case failure. Under this system, the reasons for judge-ordered and judge-directed acquittals in individual cases will be jointly assessed for individual training needs and other joint strategies for performance improvement.
The process will be supported by more sophisticated management information following the introduction of the CPS' Compass Case Management System due to roll out between April and December 2003.
The figures in the following table show a fall in judge-directed acquittals from 1,777 in 1999 to 1,471 last year, a reduction of 17.2 per cent. Over the same period judge-ordered acquittals rose from 9,616 to 11,825, an increase of 23 per cent. Much of this increase can be attributed to recent changes in procedures. Since January 2001, the prosecution, unlike before, have been able to discontinue cases in the Crown Court. Although this is a prosecution decision, the current system records these as judge-ordered acquittals.
Prosecution Service should determine the charge in all but minor, routine offences or where, because of circumstances, there is a need for a holding charge.
The pilots are due to be completed next month, but preliminary results reinforce our belief in the need to involve the CPS form the outset I cases to ensure that they are in the best state that they can be before a trial begins. We will provide details of our response to the Lord Justice Auld's recommendation when the white paper on reform of the criminal justice system is published shortly.