---

Solicitor-General

Answer

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will accelerate the programme for modernising the information technology of the Crown Prosecution Service to match the introduction of the new police IT for managing casework. [124913] The Solicitor-General: I am pleased to report that all CPS offices, including those in Staffordshire, will benefit from a significant investment in IT in 2000-01. The CPS was awarded £12 million from the Government's Capital Modernisation Fund in July 1999 and this money, together with existing CPS resources, will fund the Connect 42 project. Connect 42 will provide lawyers and caseworkers with access to modern PCs across the 42 CPS Areas for the first time. It will also enable the CPS to have secure electronic mail connections with its partners in the Criminal Justice System, including the police. A pilot of Connect 42 has been running in Sussex since March 2000. The national roll-out timetable is demanding and is scheduled to start in August 2000 and to be completed in July 2001, in advance of the new police casework system in most Areas. I understand that the detailed timetable for the new police casework system is being developed. The intention is to implement the system in police forces by the end of 2002. Connect 42 will be followed by step 2 of the Modernisation Programme, the Compass project, which is procuring a Managed Service through a PFI contract. This will use the IT infrastructure of Connect 42, and complement it with a case management system designed to meet the needs of front line CPS staff. It will provide the ability to work with electronic case files and allow information to be exchanged much more easily with other organisations in the criminal justice system through speedier electronic communications between computer systems. The CPS plans to advertise its requirement for the Compass project in the Official Journal of the European Communities in the 3{rd} quarter of 2000. Following procurement and development in 2001 and 2002, implementation of the system is planned for 2003. The CPS does not think that it is possible to accelerate this demanding timetable.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

351 c444-5W; 124913

Session

1999-00

Subjects

ICT Administration of justice Computers Cooperation Computer networks Crown Prosecution Service Finance Email Security

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk