§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the estimated extra annual costs of the proposed reform of the Office of the Northern Ireland Director of Public Prosecutions and its powers; and what concomitant savings will be made in the police service budget when the police abandon their prosecuting role.[HL5026]
§ Baroness AmosThe extra annual costs are estimated at £9 million for 2003–04, £10.5 million for 2004–05, and £15.6 million for 2005–06. A pilot project for the new service will commence on 1 December 2003. Until the pilot has been fully evaluated it is not possible to predict the savings that will be made by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, but removing the police from a prosecuting role will allow them to focus even greater effort on the investigation and detection of crime.