§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the work of the Crown Prosecution Service with the Nottingham Criminal Justice Board. [135225]
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Nottinghamshire is a very active member of the Local Criminal Justice Board and chairs two of its sub groups. One of these, which includes Victim Support, has engineered considerable improvements for dealing with vulnerable and intimidated witnesses. The group are now pioneering a system to provide updates and guidance to victims about their cases.
The Chief Crown Prosecutor also leads a group which is working on ways to improve communications between the agencies and the community. A regular bi-monthly bulletin is to be published for MPs and community groups which will explain the work of the board and the progress it is making in dealing with the offences that disrupt and disturb local communities. On behalf of the board, the Chief Crown Prosecutor is also leading an initiative to ensure all schools in Nottinghamshire are aware of the work and structure of the Local Criminal Justice Board.
The Crown Prosecution Service is also a major contributor to the board's delivery group which is tasked with narrowing the justice gap, bringing more persistent offenders to justice, and decreasing the cracked and ineffective trial rate.