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1132830

registered interest
date	18/06/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Prosecutions: South Yorkshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what the average number of days taken from the date of offence to a decision to charge an individual in South Yorkshire in each year since 2010 was.
tabling member constituency	Wentworth and Dearne
tabling member printed	John Healey
uin	266094
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) works closely with the Police to ensure that cases are thoroughly investigated before charges are brought. There has been an increase in the complexity of cases investigated by the police, with investigations often involving large amounts of electronic material (social media, emails, text messages, video and photographs) which needs to be reviewed by prosecutors before a charging decision can be made. This impacts on the average number of consultations and length of time taken for prosecutors to reach a charging decision.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS does not maintain a record of the average number of days taken from offence through to a decision to charge. However, data is held on the average number of days from submission of a case by the police to the CPS to the date of the CPS decision to charge.</p><p> </p><p>Data relating to to all cases in South Yorkshire, summary only cases in South Yorkshire, and indictable only cases in South Yorkshire is shown in Annex A.</p><p> </p><p>The data in Annex A relating to summary only cases provides figures for only a minority of summary only cases. This is because the CPS is only responsible for charging a small minority of summary only matters, with the majority charged by the police. In 2017-18 the police charged 75% of all summary only matters with only 25% charged by CPS, while for indicatable only offences the CPS charged 95% of these cases.</p><p> </p><p>There are a number of reasons for the steady increase in the average number of days and average number of consultations per case since 2010/11. Police are now more regularly encouraged to seek ‘early investigative advice’ to help determine what evidence is required for a charge. Early investigative advice helps to ensure that cases are thoroughly investigated and the evidence to be brought before the court is strong. As a result, the CPS is more often involved at an earlier stage in proceedings which impacts on the average number of consultations and overall timeliness.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 266095 266096 question first answered 26/06/2019 10:24:58 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer attachment 1 file name 266094, 266095 and 266096 - Annex A.docx title Annex A
tabling member	400 label Biography information for John Healey

1132831

registered interest
date	18/06/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Prosecutions: South Yorkshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what the average number of days taken from the date of an offence to a decision to charge and individual for summary offences in South Yorkshire in each year since 2010 was.
tabling member constituency	Wentworth and Dearne
tabling member printed	John Healey
uin	266095
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) works closely with the Police to ensure that cases are thoroughly investigated before charges are brought. There has been an increase in the complexity of cases investigated by the police, with investigations often involving large amounts of electronic material (social media, emails, text messages, video and photographs) which needs to be reviewed by prosecutors before a charging decision can be made. This impacts on the average number of consultations and length of time taken for prosecutors to reach a charging decision.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS does not maintain a record of the average number of days taken from offence through to a decision to charge. However, data is held on the average number of days from submission of a case by the police to the CPS to the date of the CPS decision to charge.</p><p> </p><p>Data relating to to all cases in South Yorkshire, summary only cases in South Yorkshire, and indictable only cases in South Yorkshire is shown in Annex A.</p><p> </p><p>The data in Annex A relating to summary only cases provides figures for only a minority of summary only cases. This is because the CPS is only responsible for charging a small minority of summary only matters, with the majority charged by the police. In 2017-18 the police charged 75% of all summary only matters with only 25% charged by CPS, while for indicatable only offences the CPS charged 95% of these cases.</p><p> </p><p>There are a number of reasons for the steady increase in the average number of days and average number of consultations per case since 2010/11. Police are now more regularly encouraged to seek ‘early investigative advice’ to help determine what evidence is required for a charge. Early investigative advice helps to ensure that cases are thoroughly investigated and the evidence to be brought before the court is strong. As a result, the CPS is more often involved at an earlier stage in proceedings which impacts on the average number of consultations and overall timeliness.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 266094 266096 question first answered 26/06/2019 10:24:58 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer attachment 1 file name 266094, 266095 and 266096 - Annex A.docx title Annex A
tabling member	400 label Biography information for John Healey

1132834

registered interest
date	18/06/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Prosecutions: South Yorkshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what the average number of days taken from the date of an offence to a decision to charge an individual for an indictable offence in South Yorkshire in each year since 2010 was.
tabling member constituency	Wentworth and Dearne
tabling member printed	John Healey
uin	266096
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) works closely with the Police to ensure that cases are thoroughly investigated before charges are brought. There has been an increase in the complexity of cases investigated by the police, with investigations often involving large amounts of electronic material (social media, emails, text messages, video and photographs) which needs to be reviewed by prosecutors before a charging decision can be made. This impacts on the average number of consultations and length of time taken for prosecutors to reach a charging decision.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS does not maintain a record of the average number of days taken from offence through to a decision to charge. However, data is held on the average number of days from submission of a case by the police to the CPS to the date of the CPS decision to charge.</p><p> </p><p>Data relating to to all cases in South Yorkshire, summary only cases in South Yorkshire, and indictable only cases in South Yorkshire is shown in Annex A.</p><p> </p><p>The data in Annex A relating to summary only cases provides figures for only a minority of summary only cases. This is because the CPS is only responsible for charging a small minority of summary only matters, with the majority charged by the police. In 2017-18 the police charged 75% of all summary only matters with only 25% charged by CPS, while for indicatable only offences the CPS charged 95% of these cases.</p><p> </p><p>There are a number of reasons for the steady increase in the average number of days and average number of consultations per case since 2010/11. Police are now more regularly encouraged to seek ‘early investigative advice’ to help determine what evidence is required for a charge. Early investigative advice helps to ensure that cases are thoroughly investigated and the evidence to be brought before the court is strong. As a result, the CPS is more often involved at an earlier stage in proceedings which impacts on the average number of consultations and overall timeliness.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 266094 266095 question first answered 26/06/2019 10:24:58 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer attachment 1 file name 266094, 266095 and 266096 - Annex A.docx title Annex A
tabling member	400 label Biography information for John Healey

1132159

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Randox Testing Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of cases of forensic manipulation at Randox that resulted in a conviction being overturned; and in how many of those cases had a custodial sentence already been served.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
uin	264437
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>There is an ongoing investigation into data manipulation at Randox Testing Services. The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to support this process to ensure that fairness and transparency in the system is maintained.</p><p> </p><p>The Crown Prosecution Service can only comment on cases that it is responsible for prosecuting. For the cases which it prosecutes, the Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain a central record of the number of cases of forensic manipulation at Randox that resulted in a conviction being overturned or a record of how many of those cases involved a custodial sentence. Such information could only be obtained through a manual search of records which would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 20/06/2019 14:01:35 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1130703

registered interest
date	07/06/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Rape: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of cases of rape reported to the CPS were administratively finalised in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Ashfield
tabling member printed	Gloria De Piero
uin	261500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>It is important to stress that ’administrative finalisation’ is not a prosecutorial decision. It is an administrative process where cases are closed on CPS’ electronic case management system. It does not necessarily mean the proceedings are at an end. Such cases may be reopened, if at a later date, new material is provided to the prosecution enabling a charging decision to be made.</p><p> </p><p>Proceedings are administratively finalised when:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The police seek early investigative advice from the CPS and did not resubmit the case to the CPS for a charging decision. In these instances, the case enters the CPS records but was never actually referred for a charging decision.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The police do refer a case to the police but there is insufficient evidence to bring a charge, sothe CPS ask the police to complete an action plan in order to improve the evidence. If the police are unable to respond to the action plan or decide not to pursue the matter, then the case will be ‘administratively finalised’ on the CPS system because the police cannot bring forward a case with sufficient evidence to charge.</li></ul><p>There was a 9% reduction in referrals from the police between 2016/17 and 2017/18. During this period, the percentage of cases resulting in no further action remained largely unchanged. There was, however, a significant increase in both the volume and percentage of cases administratively finalised. This is largely because of internal CPS administrative processes, reminding users to ‘administratively finalise’ cases where the police had requested early advice but had not resubmitted.</p><p>This coincided with an increase in the number of cases where the police have not responded to early investigative advice or an action plan has resulted in a rise in the number of administrative finalisations.</p><p>The table below shows the outcome of all referrals from the police for a pre charge decision, and show both the volume and the rates of these outcomes</p><p>TABLE KEY:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Decision to charge: Prosecutors must be satisfied there is enough evidence to provide a &quot;realistic prospect of conviction&quot; against each defendant and that the prosecution is in the public interest.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Take no further action: This is a prosecutorial decision based on an assessment that there is insufficient evidence to provide a “realistic prospect of conviction” or that a prosecution is not in the public interest. The case may be reopened if the police provide further evidence or the victim successfully appeals the decision under the victims right to review;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Out of Court Disposal: Out of court disposals include a caution, conditional caution or the recommendation that the offence is taken into consideration with other charges;</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Other: the result of the charging decision is not known or has not been given for that suspect.</li></ul><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Volumes &amp; Rates as %</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Charge</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>No Further Action</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Out of Court Disposal</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Admin Finalised</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Other</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2010-2011</strong></p></td><td><p>3,387 (42%)</p></td><td><p>4,339 (53%)</p></td><td><p>65 (1%)</p></td><td><p>321 (4%)</p></td><td><p>18 (0%)</p></td><td><p>8,130</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2011-2012</strong></p></td><td><p>3,213 (47%)</p></td><td><p>3,281 (48%)</p></td><td><p>42 (1%)</p></td><td><p>275 (4%)</p></td><td><p>11 (0%)</p></td><td><p>6,822</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012-2013</strong></p></td><td><p>2,889 (53%)</p></td><td><p>2,195 (41%)</p></td><td><p>34 (1%)</p></td><td><p>281 (5%)</p></td><td><p>5 (0%)</p></td><td><p>5,404</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013-2014</strong></p></td><td><p>3,621 (62%)</p></td><td><p>1,857 (32%)</p></td><td><p>23 (0%)</p></td><td><p>341 (6%)</p></td><td><p>8 (0%)</p></td><td><p>5,850</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014-2015</strong></p></td><td><p>3,648 (59%)</p></td><td><p>1,997 (32%)</p></td><td><p>29 (0%)</p></td><td><p>484 (8%)</p></td><td><p>1 (0%)</p></td><td><p>6,159</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015-2016</strong></p></td><td><p>3,910 (57%)</p></td><td><p>2,271 (33%)</p></td><td><p>24 (0%)</p></td><td><p>645 (9%)</p></td><td><p>5 (0%)</p></td><td><p>6,855</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016-2017</strong></p></td><td><p>3,671 (56%)</p></td><td><p>2,145 (32%)</p></td><td><p>30 (0%)</p></td><td><p>761 (12%)</p></td><td><p>4 (0%)</p></td><td><p>6,611</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017-2018</strong></p></td><td><p>2,822 (47%</p></td><td><p>1,851 (31%)</p></td><td><p>26 (0%)</p></td><td><p>1,307 (22%)</p></td><td><p>6 (0%)</p></td><td><p>6,012</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 17/06/2019 15:09:46 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	3915 label Biography information for Gloria De Piero

1129073

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Disclosure of Information
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether the Sub-Group to the Criminal Justice Board and Review of the Criminal Justice Response to Rape and Serious Sexual Offences plans to make an assessment of the (a) effectiveness and (b) effect on survivors of rape of the legal guidance issued by the CPS on rape and sexual offence in relation to disclosure of medical records and counselling notes.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	259168
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2019 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service is working with the police, government departments and third sector stakeholders on the Government’s review into how the criminal justice system responds to rape and serious sexual offences. The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to working with all involved in the Review, including stakeholders, to identify and address any issues that are identified.</p><p>Complainants are entitled to protection from unnecessary and unjustified invasion of their private lives. CPS guidance is clear that where it is a reasonable line of enquiry in the investigation, the police should obtain complainants’ informed consent to gain access to medical records and counselling notes. Prosecutors will robustly apply the relevant statutory provisions when deciding whether such material should be disclosed to the defence.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 12/06/2019 15:12:37 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1129271

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Rape: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, if the Government will review the CPS guidance given to victims of rape on seeking therapy.
tabling member constituency	Ealing Central and Acton
tabling member printed	Dr Rupa Huq
uin	259357
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>It is vital that victims are confident they will be treated with the utmost fairness by the justice system. CPS committed, as part of the cross-Government Victims Strategy, to launch new guidance on pre-trial therapy to reduce the perception amongst victims, therapists and criminal justice professionals that it will damage the prosecution case. This is due to be published this summer. Additionally, a new toolkit for prosecutors on the support that an individual suffering from a mental health condition will require was launched in August 2018.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 06/06/2019 11:17:26 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4511 label Biography information for Dr Rupa Huq

1126592

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Prosecutions: West Midlands
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2019 to Question 249931 on Prosecutions: West Midlands, what the average time was for the CPS to reach a decision in the West Midlands in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	254257
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>Records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), provide data showing the average time (in calendar days) from receipt of the pre-charge case to the decision to charge.</p><p> </p><p>The table below shows the average number of days from the date a charging decision is requested by the police to the date the decision to charge is taken for the West Midlands Area in each year from 2013/14 to 2017/18.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2013-2014</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014-2015</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015-2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016-2017</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-2018</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p>10.54</p></td><td><p>10.95</p></td><td><p>11.65</p></td><td><p>14.41</p></td><td><p>17.31</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><em>Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System</em></p><p> </p><p>During this period there has been a shift in the type of pre-charge decisions referred to the CPS. For example, in the period between 2013/14 and 2017/18, there was an increase of over 26% in rape flagged pre-charge decisions referred to CPS West Midlands. Rape and serious sexual offences investigations can be highly complex in nature and typically involve the review of a large quantity of evidence resulting in an increase in the amount of time required for the CPS to come to a charging decision.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 20/05/2019 10:24:38 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1126136

registered interest
date	13/05/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Attorney General: Brexit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many staff of his Department who were transferred or seconded to work (a) in other Departments and (b) on other departmental briefs on preparations for the UK to leave the EU have since returned to his Department.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	253465
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>The Attorney General’s Office had one employee who joined DExEU on loan to support work on preparations for the UK to leave the EU. The employee subsequently moved permanently to another department and will not return to the Attorney General’s Office.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 21/05/2019 08:06:53 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1125592

registered interest
date	09/05/2019
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Rape: Disclosure of Information
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on victims of rape of CPS rape and sexual offence legal guidance in relation to disclosure of medical records and counselling notes.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	252498
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2019 answer text <p>All complainants are entitled to protection from unnecessary and unjustified invasion of their private lives. Medical records and counselling notes will routinely engage an individual’s Article 8 ECHR right to privacy.</p><p> </p><p>CPS guidance is clear that where it is a reasonable line of enquiry in the investigation, the police should obtain the complainant’s informed consent to gain access to these records and, in the limited circumstances where it is appropriate, to enable disclosure of material to the defence. Where records amount to unused material, prosecutors will robustly apply the relevant statutory provisions when deciding whether such material should be disclosed to the defence.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS is working with the police and stakeholders to ensure complainants are aware of why their records are required and how they will be used to allow them to make an informed decision.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 16/05/2019 14:49:01 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly