HC Deb 19 January 2004 vol 416 cc975-6W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Crown Prosecution Service's Racially Aggravated and Religiously Aggravated Crime Policy. [146246]

The Solicitor-General

The question has been passed to me for reply as the Law Officers are responsible for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The CPS policy on racist and religious crime was launched on 14 July 2003 and was developed with criminal justice partners and in consultation with over 120 local and national groups, including representatives of faith and black and minority ethnic communities.

The policy clearly sets out the CPS stance on prosecuting racist and religious crime and emphasises the need to prosecute cases firmly, fairly and robustly. The aim is to contribute to improving public confidence in the criminal justice system and, it is hoped, to bring more offenders to justice.

In delivering training to underpin the policy, the CPS has involved members of the community and the police to assist prosecutors in understanding the issues and underline the impact on communities of such crime.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Crown Prosecution Service Merseyside Community Engagement Programme. [146247]

The Solicitor-General

The question has been passed to me for reply as the Law Officers are responsible for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

CPS Merseyside is heavily involved in a range of community engagement initiatives. These include talks to schools and colleges, mentoring students from the black and minority ethnic communities, and contributing to conferences arranged to obtain the views of a variety of community groups. Two conferences are scheduled in January. The Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Merseyside also arranges for representatives of relevant communities to address his staff during training courses so that they can describe the effects of crime on their lives and explain how the criminal justice agencies can better meet their needs.

The area is currently updating its community engagement strategy to draw together the initiatives in which it is involved.