Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what changes have been made to CPS charging thresholds in cases of rape; and for what reasons such thresholds have been changed.

There has been no change of approach or policy in how prosecutors should make charging decisions in rape cases. It has always been the case that decisions are made in accordance with the Full Code Test.

The growth in the volume of digital evidence is complicating the gathering and analysis of evidence. To address the increasing complexity of cases we have introduced new guidance to help police and prosecutors with reasonable lines of enquiry and communications evidence. The National Disclosure Improvement Plan sets out further measures to ensure the proper processes are followed.