Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Criminal Justice Backlog: CPS Effectiveness

Wednesday 7 December 2022 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Scott Benton asked the Attorney General about the effectiveness of the CPS in reducing the backlog of cases, to which she responded that a national surge team has been created to help manage casework pressures.
  • Andrew Slaughter criticized the CPS for a low prosecution rate for fraud and mentioned a case where a private prosecution succeeded after CPS inaction.
  • Daniel Zeichner inquired about potential tweaks to data protection laws and information recorded on the Registry of Judgments, Orders and Fines to improve cooperation between the police and CPS.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Scott Benton
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question arises from ongoing concerns about the backlog of cases in the criminal justice system and the effectiveness of measures taken by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to address this issue.

Question

What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Crown Prosecution Service in reducing the backlog of cases in the criminal justice system?

Answer from Michael Tomlinson

I recently met frontline prosecutors in Bristol, Devon and London to see at first hand the work being undertaken to tackle the backlog. The CPS has created a national surge team that could be deployed to any region in England and Wales to relieve casework pressures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The effectiveness of the measures is not directly addressed, only their existence is mentioned.

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Q2 Andrew Slaughter Lab Hammersmith and Chiswick
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question is prompted by concerns about the increasing backlog of cases in the criminal justice system, particularly regarding fraud cases. The previous week saw a solicitor jailed for 12 years due to a private prosecution after the CPS took no action.

Question

I welcome the new Attorney General to her position. However, the backlog is still going up. Last week a solicitor was jailed for 12 years for a £10 million fraud after a private prosecution that was brought because the CPS had taken no action. Last year the prosecution rate for fraud was 0.5%, and over five years the average number of prosecutions initiated by the Serious Fraud Office has been four. Is the Attorney General's solution to the backlog not to prosecute cases at all, and is this not a pathetic record of inaction by a Government who have gone soft on crime?

Answer from Michael Tomlinson

I disagree with the hon. Gentleman's last two points. We all want to see the backlog reduced as quickly as possible, and the Ministry of Justice is leading the development of a cross-Government Crown court recovery plan. It is through technology, sentencing blitzes and pre-trial case resolution hearings that we can help to reduce the backlog.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Attorney General did not address whether reducing the backlog involves avoiding prosecution for fraud cases.

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Q3 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Justice & Courts Standards & Ethics
Context

The police in Cambridge have raised concerns about the time spent preparing cases for the CPS, suggesting that simple tweaks to data protection laws and information recorded on the Registry of Judgments, Orders and Fines could make a difference.

Question

The police in Cambridge have raised with me the time they spend on preparing cases for the CPS, but it has also been suggested that simple tweaks to data protection laws and the information recorded on the Registry of Judgments, Orders and Fines could make a real difference. Has the Attorney General considered any of these simple steps?

Answer from Michael Tomlinson

I have had several meetings with both the CPS and the police. It is important for them to work together. When it comes to prosecutions for rape and serious sexual offences, early advice should be sought and cooperation seen between the police and the CPS. As for disclosure issues more widely, the Attorney General and I are looking at those very closely.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question regarding data protection laws was not directly addressed, focusing instead on other areas of collaboration.

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Q4 Bob Neill Con
Justice & Courts
Context

The Justice Committee has been discussing the pressures faced by the CPS in the context of broader justice system issues, with emphasis on staff support.

Question

May I, both personally and on behalf of the Committee, warmly welcome the Attorney General to her place? Everyone who saw her sworn in will know how positive the reaction of Bar and Bench was to the appointment of someone who takes her responsibilities so seriously, and we look forward to working with her. When the Director of Public Prosecutions gave evidence to the Justice Committee last month, she stressed that the pressures on the CPS must be seen in the context of the justice system as a whole, and that the solution to those pressures required consistent support for the system, but in particular support for CPS staff—

Answer from Michael Tomlinson

That pleasure falls to me, Mr Speaker. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his kind words, as I know the Attorney General is. He is right to highlight the words of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and he will know that the Attorney General and I work closely with the director and listen carefully to what he says.

Not addressed: The question regarding support for CPS staff was not directly addressed; instead, it was acknowledged generally.

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