§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Solicitor-General how many of the cases referred to the CPS as part of Operation Care were(a) accepted and (b) refused; and what the main reasons for refusal were. [151613]
§ The Solicitor-General[pursuant to his reply, 5 March 2001, c.47W]: A fuller breakdown of cases is as follows:
Since April 1996 when Operation Care commenced. Merseyside police have submitted cases relating to 181 suspects to the Crown Prosecution Service.
The CPS advised prosecution of 59 suspects; of whom 42 have been finalised, 20 pleaded guilty, seven were convicted after trial, three were acquitted, three were stayed, three were discontinued, one was cautioned, one was abandoned and four died before the proceedings were concluded. Of the remaining 17 to be finalised, 16 are pending and one is awaiting committal.
The CPS advised police not to proceed with cases against a further 101 suspects, 90 because of insufficient evidence and 11 because the public interest was not satisfied. The police are carrying out further inquiries into another 21 cases.