§ The Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith)On 4 December 2003 (Official Report, cols. WA 32– 3) I announced that the Government had decided to accept the recommendation of the review conducted by Mr Justice Butterfield, that the Customs and Excise Prosecutions Office should become a fully independent prosecuting authority, accountable to me.
Subsequent to that announcement the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 17 March 2004, in his Budget Statement, that the Government were accepting the recommendations of the Review of the Revenue Departments led by the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, Gus O'Donnell. One of the key recommendations of that review was to integrate the Revenue and Customs into a single department.
I can now announce that the Government have decided to create a single prosecuting authority to deal with Revenue and Customs prosecutions work, in line with the creation of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. The new prosecuting authority, which will be known as the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) will be an entirely separate prosecuting authority, accountable to me, and responsible for the prosecution of all H M Revenue and Customs cases in England and Wales. This is an important step which will ensure that we have an effective and fully independent prosecuting authority dealing with many of the most important cases in the criminal justice system. Work to create a fully independent prosecuting authority is under way and the legislation required to complete the establishment of the new office will be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time permits.