Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether any entity owned or partially owned by the Government has acted as a prosecutor in its own interests in the past five years.

Certain Government agencies (such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and TV Licencing) are permitted under legislation to bring criminal prosecutions within specified remits. In addition, where the UK taxpayer is a shareholder or the only shareholder, a company may bring a private prosecution using common law powers preserved under section 6(1) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.

The Government does not collate or record data on individual prosecutors and private prosecutions, although some prosecutors may publish their own data separately. This Government considers that the public should be given more information about private prosecutors to improve confidence in the criminal justice system. This is why we have launched a public consultation on options to improve the oversight and regulation of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system, which closes on 8 May.