Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Attorney-General under what powers prosecutions in magistrates courts in London were conducted under the title of the Crown Prosecution Service before 1 October.
§ The Attorney-GeneralCommencing in the latter part of 1985, the Director of Public Prosecutions began to establish a network of local offices in the Metropolitan police and Surrey constabulary areas. They were grouped in three areas (inner London, outer London north and outer London South-Surrey) corresponding with the proposed areas for the Crown Prosecution Service. Although such offices may sometimes have been referred to as the Crown Prosecution Service, they in fact constituted part of the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions and each area was headed by an assistant director of public prosecutions; the discharge of their duties was governed by the Prosecution of Offence Act 1979 and the regulations made thereunder. Section 4 of the Act empowers the director to assume responsibility for any prosecutions irrespective of who may have instituted the proceedings.