§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Solicitor-General if he will accelerate the programme for modernising the information technology of the Crown Prosecution Service to match the introduction of the new police IT for managing casework. [124913]
The Solicitor-GeneralI am pleased to report that all CPS offices, including those in Staffordshire, will benefit from a significant investment in IT in 2000–01.
The CPS was awarded £12 million from the Government's Capital Modernisation Fund in July 1999 and this money, together with existing CPS resources, will fund the Connect 42 project. Connect 42 will provide lawyers and caseworkers with access to modern PCs across the 42 CPS Areas for the first time. It will also enable the CPS to have secure electronic mail connections with its partners in the Criminal Justice System, including the police.
A pilot of Connect 42 has been running in Sussex since March 2000. The national roll-out timetable is demanding and is scheduled to start in August 2000 and to be completed in July 2001, in advance of the new police casework system in most Areas. I understand that the detailed timetable for the new police casework system is being developed. The intention is to implement the system in police forces by the end of 2002.
Connect 42 will be followed by step 2 of the Modernisation Programme, the Compass project, which is procuring a Managed Service through a PFI contract. This will use the IT infrastructure of Connect 42, and complement it with a case management system designed to meet the needs of front line CPS staff. It will provide the ability to work with electronic case files and allow information to be exchanged much more easily with other organisations in the criminal justice system through speedier electronic communications between computer systems.
445WThe CPS plans to advertise its requirement for the Compass project in the Official Journal of the European Communities in the 3rd quarter of 2000. Following procurement and development in 2001 and 2002, implementation of the system is planned for 2003. The CPS does not think that it is possible to accelerate this demanding timetable.
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Solicitor-General what was the funding of the Crown Prosecution Service(a) in real terms and (b) as a proportion of GDP for each year of its existence. [124910]
The Solicitor-GeneralThe funding of the Crown Prosecution Service in real terms and as a proportion of GDP for each year of its existence is listed as follows:
£000 Year Total expenditure in real terms Proportion of GDP (Percentage) 1986–87 124,124 0.019 1987–88 212,691 0.031 1988–89 233,487 0.033 1989–90 255,755 0.035 1990–91 274,902 0.038 1991–92 294,325 0.041 1992–93 321,371 0.045 1993–94 344,510 0.047 1994–95 350,410 0.045 1995–96 345,281 0.044 1996–97 339,536 0.042 1997–98 331,139 0.039 1998–99 328,347 0.038 1999–2000 323,408 0.035
Treasury Solicitor's Department 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 Target Target Outcome Target Outcome Target Outcome1 To achieve annual efficiency savings 2.5% Achieved 2.5% Achieved 3.0% Achieved To recover the full operating costs for the Agency's chargeable services 100% Achieved 100% Achieved 100% Achieved To achieve x% level of customer satisfaction in advisory services 90% Achieved 95–100% Achieved >95% 95% Achieved To achieve x% reduction in average unit cost per chargeable hour (litigation) 2.5% Achieved 2.5% Achieved 2.5% Achieved To achieve x% reduction in the average unit cost per case (Bona Vacantia) 2.5% Achieved 2.5% Not achieved 2.5% Not achieved2 To achieve a minimum average number of chargeable hours per full-time caseholder per year (litigation) of x 1,100 Achieved 1,150 Achieved 1,150 Achieved To achieve instructions in at least x new litigation cases 8,000 Achieved Discontinued Discontinued To achieve 20% improvement on 1998–99 level of income recovery from clients within 30 days of their receipt of a validated invoice — — 75% Achieved 90% Not achieved To increase the proportion of undisputed supplier invoices paid in accordance with terms or 30 days — — 95% Achieved 100% Not achieved 1 The information in this column is provisional, pending the preparation of the final accounts for 1999–2000. 2 Since the Key Performance Target for Bona Vacantia Division was introduced it has become apparent that the methodology used to assess the number of cases is statistically biased towards non-achievement as it makes no allowance for the differing complexity of individual cases. The target will remain as set for 1999–2000 but the baseline against which performance is judged will be assessed and, if necessary, adjusted to recognise the differing complexity of cases. Note:
Further information on performance against these targets can be found in the Executive Agencies 1999 Report (Cmnd 4658).
446W
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Solicitor-General by what formula the funding of the Crown Prosecution Service nationally is distributed to the area offices. [124911]
The Solicitor-GeneralDecisions on how much of the CPS's resources should be allocated to individual CPS Areas are for the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief Executive. They are informed by a number of analyses, including activity based costing (ABC), estimated payroll costs of staff not included in ABC analyses, accommodation costs, indicators of the type and nature of Areas, specific local factors, and the involvement of individual Areas in new initiatives.
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the budget of the Staffordshire CPS. [124912]
The Solicitor-GeneralDecisions on how much of the CPS's resources should be allocated to individual CPS Areas are for the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief Executive. The allocation of the CPS's budget to the 42 CPS Areas is informed by a detailed analysis of the costs of the prosecution process and caseload. This analysis is used to inform decisions on the budget for CPS Staffordshire and for all other CPS Areas.