§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Attorney-General how many and what percentage of cases forwarded by the Sussex Police to the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution were turned down(a) for evidential reasons and (b) for other reasons in each year from 1994 to 1997. [31922]
The Attorney-GeneralThe table shows the number of defendants whose cases were discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service in Sussex, and discontinuance as a proportion of cases completed in Magistrates' Courts in each of the last four years:
Year Discontinued Discontinuance as percentage of completed cases 1994 3,246 12.2 1995 3,146 11.2 1996 3,023 11.2 1997 3,468 12.3 No central records are held of the reasons for which cases are discontinued. This information is held on individual case files, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. During November 1994, a survey was conducted of all cases discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service nationally. This survey showed that the reasons for discontinuance were as follows:
Reason for discontinuance Percentage of all cases discontinued Insufficient evidence 43 Prosecution not in the public interest 28 Prosecution unable to proceed (eg. because witnesses failed to attend court or refused to give evidence) 19 Defendant's driving documents produced at the hearing 10