The effective communication and progression of cases between investigators and prosecutors is vital to secure swift and effective outcomes for victims and witnesses. Improvement in this area is a priority for the police and CPS at both a national and local level.<\/p>
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In March 2021, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and College of Policing published a joint National Case Progression Commitment, which provided an in-depth analysis of the barriers to effective case progression; and sets out their commitment to taking action to drive improvement.<\/p>
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This work is overseen at a national level by a Joint Operational Improvement Board (JOIB), which is co-chaired by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the NPCC\u2019s lead for criminal justice, Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave. The Attorney General and I regularly meet with the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss progress.<\/p>
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At a local level, the recent introduction of Joint Operational Improvement Meetings has fundamentally changed how issues are identified and addressed. These meetings create a forum to better improve direct communication between the CPS and the police and enhance early collaboration to resolve issues. They also provide an opportunity for CPS Areas and police forces to improve casework performance, through strong working relationships and practises.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4481", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Chalk"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Cheltenham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alex Chalk"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-02-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-02-04T12:04:32.773Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-02-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Crown Prosecution Service: Police"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that communication between the Crown Prosecution Service and the police is as swift as possible.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4657", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anneliese Dodds"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Oxford East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Anneliese Dodds"} ], "uin" : "116034"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135927", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Attorney General"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1135927/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Progress is being made on the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation into allegations of corruption in the conduct of business by British American Tobacco Plc, its subsidiaries and associated persons. It would not be appropriate to comment on the status of a live criminal investigation further at this stage.<\/p>
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When it is appropriate to do so, the SFO will publish updates on the status of the investigation on their website. The most recent information can be found at:<\/p>
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