§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Solicitor-General which categories of important cases require the CPS to communicate directly with complainants; and what the purpose and outcome is of these communications. [60221]
Table 1 2000 Area Staff In Post (SIP) 1.1.00 Resignations* Transfers to other Govt Depts. per cent Turnover SIP 31.12.00 Difference Derbyshire 76.03 10 13.5 71.09 –4.13 Hertfordshire 62.95 15 24.9 57.26 –5.69 Humberside 76.38 7 9 78.76 2.38 North Wales 62.3 6 9.9 58.25 –4.05 *All leavers during the year 1.1.00–31.12.00 as a Head Count.
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§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 10 June 2002]: Under the current Victim's Charter the CPS must, on request, meet families bereaved as a result of crime in order to explain the decision on prosecution.
In addition, in April 2001 the CPS commenced a phased programme of implementation of the Direct Communication with Victims initiative. This follows recommendations made by Sir William MacPherson and Sir Ian Glidewell. All Areas who have implemented this initiative now:
provide all identifiable victims with a written explanation when the prosecution decide to discontinue their case, or alter charges substantially; andin cases involving child abuse, sexual offences or racially aggravated offences, offer to meet victims to explain the basis of the decision if a further explanation is required.Full national implementation will be completed by October 2002.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the(a) reasons for and (b) impact of significant staff turnover within the (i) Derbyshire, (ii) Hertfordshire, (iii) Humberside and (iv) North Wales CPS regions, with reference to the training budget as a proportion of turnover on 1 January. [59657]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 12 June 2002]: As with any large organisation, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has turnover of staff. Table 1 (attached) shows that, there has not been a significant staff turnover in Derbyshire, Hertfordshire, Humberside or North Wales CPS, over the last twelve months, as compared to the national average for the CPS. The main reason for the loss of staff has been resignations.
In recent months Derbyshire, Hertfordshire, Humberside have seen an increase in the number of staff employed.
Loss of staff, particularly if they are experienced, impacts on the working of any organisation. New staff requires induction and training, which may vary from going on appropriate courses to "on the job" training. Inevitably this affects the training budget. It also means new staff members take some time before they are fully effective. However, the introduction of new staff, especially where they represent an addition to the existing numbers, is to be welcomed.
Table 2 (attached) shows the proportion of each local Area budget spent on training against their total running costs.
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2001 Area SIP 1.1.01 Resignations Transfers to other Govt Depts. per cent Turnover SIP 31.12.01 Difference Derbyshire 71.09 8 10.2 85.53 14.44 Hertfordshire 57.26 1.97 3 73.25 15.99 Humberside 78.76 5 6.4 76.21 -2.55 North Wales 58.25 1.49 1 4.1 60.91 2.66 National (42 Areas) 5.9
2002 Area SIP 1.1.02 Resignations Transfers to other Govt Depts. per cent Turnover SIP 31.05.02 Difference Derbyshire 85.53 3 3.3 92.11 6.58 Hertfordshire 73.25 1 1.3 76.57 3.32 Humberside 76.21 1 1.2 83.5 7.29 North Wales 60.91 0.51 0.8 59.93 –0.98 National (42 Areas) Jan, Feb & March 1.9
Table 2 Table Showing Proportion of Area Budget Spent on Training 1.4.01–31.3.02 Against Total Running Costs Allocation. Area Running Costs Training Costs per cent Derbyshire 3,136,018 26,800 0.85 Hertfordshire 2,731,565 6,700 0.25 Humberside 2,808,450 12,716 0.45 North Wales 2,361,101 5,560 0.24
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Solicitor-General what proportion of advocacy by the Crown Prosecution Service met the CPS's advocacy standards in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.[[69107]
§ The Solicitor-General[holding answer 11 July 2002]: Advocacy standards form a part of the annual performance appraisal of all Crown Prosecutors and performance assessment markings are awarded to reflect the individual's overall performance throughout the whole reporting period. In each of the years since 1997, more than 99 per cent of Crown Prosecutors received a performance assessment marking of Box 3 (Performance fully meets the standard required) or better in advocacy standards.
HMCPSI include advocacy standards as part of their inspections of each CPS Area. These are reported in their individual inspection reports but there is no aggregation of data in relation to any specific aspect of an Area's performance.
Under the Department's training of Higher Court Advocates, candidates must additionally pass an assessment managed by the Nottingham Law School before they can be considered for deployment as advocates in the Crown Courts.