Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Crown Prosecution Service in (a) prosecuting cases and (b) providing (i) information, (ii) assistance and (iii) support to victims.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) rolled out a new Crown Court operating model last year. This is a more effective and efficient approach to justice as it means the CPS serve more material on the defence at a much earlier stage so they can be more robust with case management and encourage earlier guilty pleas.

The CPS is transforming the service it provides to victims through its Victim Transformation Programme. The Programme is delivering an improved Universal Service offer for all victims of crime, which will build victims’ understanding of the role of the CPS, ensure that victims understand their rights, and signpost victims to relevant support.

The Victim Transformation Programme also includes an Enhanced Service offer for adult victims of rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO). The Enhanced Service will include the offer of a meeting with a member of the prosecution team once a victim has been notified their case is proceeding to trial. This will give victims the opportunity to discuss what happens next and ask questions about the process. The Enhanced Offer will also include a dedicated Victim Liaison Officer in all CPS RASSO Units to help improve the quality of engagement with adult RASSO victims.

The Victim Transformation Programme builds on actions the CPS has already taken to improve the quality of the communications and the service it provides to victims. For example, the CPS has published an online guide for all victims of crime, which explains what they can expect when their case reaches the CPS and what their entitlements are as victims. This has had nearly 110,000 views in total since its launch in September 2022. It follows an earlier guide the CPS produced for victims of rape and serious sexual offences, which has had over 320,000 views since November 2021.