Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nigel Mills and Oliver Heald

Tuesday 9th July 2013 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Mills (Amber Valley) (Con)]

9. What recent assessment he has made of how effectively appeal cases have been handled by the Crown Prosecution Service.

[The Solicitor-General (Oliver Heald)]

The CPS is providing a first-class service to the senior appellate courts.

[Nigel Mills]

I am grateful for that answer. Will the Solicitor-General please explain to the House how he can satisfy himself that the CPS is indeed conducting those cases effectively? Does it compile and analyse any data on how it is performing?

[The Solicitor-General]

Yes, the detailed schedule of cases comes to the Attorney-General each month, and we have discovered that more cases are being dismissed without leave to appeal being granted, which suggests good CPS presentation; up to 57% of cases are now dismissed without leave.