§ Mr. Brightasked the Attorney-General what are his latest figures for fraud prosecution under fraud investigation group procedures; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe latest information from the Crown Prosecution Service relates to the first nine months of 1986. During that period 66 trials on indictment (involving 149 defendants) handled by the fraud divisions at Crown Prosecution Service headquarters have been completed. Pleas of guilty or convictions were obtained in 58 cases. The outcome of those cases when analysed in terms of defendants was as follows:
Number Pleaded Guilty: 88 Convicted: 45 Acquitted: 16 Of the 66 cases, 16 were formally designated as FIG cases. In 15 of these cases convictions were secured. In most cases handled by the fraud divisions FIG methods are used even where a case is not formally so designated.
The total sum at risk in the cases dealt with this year to the 30 September was £147 million. The average length 190W of trial in contested cases was 13 days, and the average time from first reference to the fraud divisions to plea or verdict was less than 16 months.