Written question asked by David Amess (Conservative) on Friday, 25 February 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 7 April 2005. It was answered by Baroness Harman (Labour) on Thursday, 7 April 2005 on behalf of the Solicitor General.

Solicitor-General

Question: To ask the Solicitor General, what plans she has to make the activities of the Crown Prosecution Service more transparent when considering a prosecution.

Answer: Mr. Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General what plans she has to make the activities of the Crown Prosecution Service more transparent when considering a prosecution. [219434] The Solicitor-General: The Code for Crown Prosecutors, which sets out the guidance for prosecutors, is a publicly available document issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Detailed legal guidance that underpins the Code is available on the Crown Prosecution Service's website. The Crown Prosecution Service now routinely explains to victims its decisions to discontinue or down grade the charges. The Crown Prosecution Service explains its role to communities at both local and national levels and consults on the development of its prosecution policies, in particular in the areas of domestic violence, race crime, homophobic crime and the prosecution of rape offences. HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate inspects and reports on CPS Areas and thematic issues. The Crown Prosecution Service produces an Annual Report.

Secondary information