HC Deb 06 March 2003 vol 400 cc1173-4W
Mr. Laws

To ask the Solicitor General what the reasons were for the change in total public spending on the Crown Prosecution Service between 1998–99 and 2003–04; and if she will make a statement. [99831]

Financial year April to April Active caseload at year end Trials completed in year Number of defendants in trials completed Number of convictions in trials completed (by defendant) Annual total cost £million
1988–89 66 9 14 10 6.86
1989–90 61 17 32 24 9.21
1990–91 56 27 72 45 13.19
1991–92 60 28 58 38 17.71
1992–93 57 25 49 35 20.99
1993–94 48 23 54 32 19.03
1994–95 50 13 31 16 18.03
1995–96 70 11 23 18 17.33
1996–97 82 8 14 12 16.58
1997–98 78 14 39 37 16.3
1998–99 65 18 38 31 16.1
1999–2000 81 8 12 11 15.9
2000–01 70 24 58 51 19.7
2001–02 75 8 13 10 23.03
2002–03 72 13 26 17 128.09
Total 991 246 519 377 258.05
1Provisional

I draw attention to the second column of the table 'Active Caseload at Year End', where the figures represent those cases actually under investigation, those awaiting trial and those where a trial had been commenced but had not been formally concluded with a verdict or verdicts. I feel the other statistics speak for themselves.

The Solicitor-General

[holding answer 4 March 2003]: Since 1998–99 funding for the Crown Prosecution Service has increased, both in response to increasing workload and to support the departmental reform and modernisation programme.

As part of the SR 2000 Spending Review plans, the Treasury created a Criminal Justice Reserve worth £100 million in 2001–02 and £525 million over the three years up to 2003–04. We are investing in the CPS an additional £30 million in 2001–02, £59 million in 2002–03 and £76 million in 2003–04 from the Reserve.

The increase in funding allowed the Crown Prosecution Service to recruit the lawyers and caseworkers needed to handle more cases, better, and provided for programmes and initiatives dealing with victims and witnesses and information technology. The Crown Prosecution Service has successfully completed the first stage of its programme to modernise IT, electronic communications systems and the office environment for approximately 6,800 staff across 100 sites.

The CPS will also focus resources on closer partnership, working with the police by providing early advice and assuming responsibility for charging.