Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Evans of Rainow and Oliver Heald

Tuesday 4th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Graham Evans (Weaver Vale) (Con)]

1. What steps the Crown Prosecution Service has taken to improve the conviction rate for rape since 2010.

[The Solicitor-General (Oliver Heald)]

In the past three years, the conviction rate for rape has continued to increase steadily. In the calendar year 2010, the conviction rate was 59.1%; it then went to 61% and then to 64.3%, which reflects the commitment of the Crown Prosecution Service to robust prosecution of rape offences.

[Graham Evans]

Does my hon. and learned Friend agree that part of the reason for the increase in conviction rates is the training of specialist prosecutors by the CPS?

[The Solicitor-General]

Yes, my hon. Friend makes an important point. The Director of Public Prosecutions has led the training of specialist CPS rape prosecutors, 800 of whom have now been trained, and they have done a wide range of units to ensure that they are fully aware of all the ways that it is necessary to prosecute such cases.