Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, how the additional £85 million for the Crown Prosecution Service will be spent; and if he will take steps to make an assessment of the effect of that additional funding on the number of prosecutions taken forward for the offence of rape.

The
additional £85 million for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will be spent
over two financial years; £5 million in 2019-20 and £80 million in 2020-21. This
investment will enable the CPS to respond effectively to the expected increase
in caseload resulting from the recruitment of 20,000 new police officers; to
better meet their disclosure obligations; to work with investigators to pursue
all reasonable lines of inquiry; and to deliver much needed changes to external
counsel fees. Investing in the CPS to meet these pressures is essential for
justice to be served.

The
additional resources for disclosure will support the development of stronger
cases, including rape offences.