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Whole Day Download the Hansard Thursday Volume 611 26 May 2016 No. 6 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 26 May 2016 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2016 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 661 26 MAY 2016 662 The Solicitor General: The hon. Lady is right to refer House of Commons to those regional variations, which are concerning. I am glad to see a strong commitment to a greater national Thursday 26 May 2016 approach to this issue. That is why the setting up of RASSO units in every area is vital. The CPS has recruited a further 102 specialist prosecutors, with a further phase The House met at half-past Nine o’clock of recruitment due to take place, which will help to drive conviction rates up. PRAYERS Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): In Northern Ireland, [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] there were more than 28,000 incidents with a domestic motivation in 2014-15, and there were 2,734 sexual offences, including 737 cases of rape. Not only are conviction rates too low across the UK, but the number Oral Answers to Questions of incidents is still too high, particularly considering that many victims of domestic violence do not come forward. What steps are the Government taking to ATTORNEY GENERAL reduce the number of offences? Have they considered an education programme for boys and girls in school? The Attorney General was asked— The Solicitor General: I am grateful, as always, to the Rape Offences: Conviction Rates hon. Gentleman. I am happy to say that, in England and Wales, the overall number of cases being brought—not 1. Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab): What just of rape but of associated violence and sexual abuse assessment he has made of reasons for variations between in a domestic setting—continues to increase, which police force areas in conviction rates for rape offences. means justice for thousands more victims year on year. [905092] 13. Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab): Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab): What steps What assessment he has made of reasons for variations has the hon. and learned Gentleman taken to ensure between police force areas in conviction rates for rape that the Crown Prosecution Service discusses with the police the type of evidence that needs to be on the file offences. [905131] sent to it to secure a conviction? Has he reviewed with The Solicitor General (Robert Buckland): There are a the Home Office police forces that are accused of putting number of factors at various stages that are likely to too many rape cases in the “no crime” category without have an impact on conviction rates for rape, but the investigation? Crown Prosecution Service is committed to improving the rate by working closely with partners in all police The Solicitor General: To answer the hon. Lady’s force areas. To provide the consistency of approach that latter point first, that is obviously an operational matter is necessary, networks of violence against women and for the police, but the general principles and policy girls co-ordinators have been established. issues arising from it are important. That is why the Attorney General and I take great interest in the important Cat Smith: CPS national guidance suggests that work of the RASSO units—the specialist prosecutors—that improvements have been made through the appointment work with the police at an early stage to identify the sort of rape specialist prosecutors. However, their success is of evidence that is needed to secure convictions. The entirely dependent on the evidence referred to them in hon. Lady is absolutely right to raise that point. the first place, as one of my constituents, who was raped while away at university, found to her distress. Will the Serious Fraud Solicitor General comment on any link between reported offences of rape that are never referred to CPS rape 2. Ian C. Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab): What steps the specialist lawyers for a decision to prosecute and the Serious Fraud Office is taking to help prevent serious conviction rates for rape in police force areas? fraud and other economic crimes. [905093] The Solicitor General: I am grateful to the hon. Lady, and I listened with some concern to the case she cited. I The Attorney General (Jeremy Wright): Over the past am glad to say that in her area—the north-west—the 18 months the Serious Fraud Office has secured, for area rape and serious sexual offences unit has been example, its first contested conviction for rate rigging, generating an improvement in the conviction rate, which its first conviction of a corporation for offences involving has gone up by almost 10% in the last year. However, bribery of foreign officials and its first deferred prosecution she is right to talk about the earlier stages, and the agreement. co-ordination I mentioned is all about early investigative help, which should make the experience for victims Ian C. Lucas: But in 2015, as a result of the 3,000 cases better. Experience shows that attrition rates are far reported to the dedicated fraud line, the SFO opened too high. only three cases. What is the reality of why the SFO does so much less than the Government’s rhetoric suggests? Diana Johnson: So why does the Solicitor General think there is a difference between rates in police forces, The Attorney General: The hon. Gentleman will with 35% being one of the lowest rates and 80% the appreciate, I am sure, that there is more than one body highest? What specifically can the CPS do? in the system that prosecutes fraud. The Serious Fraud 663 Oral Answers26 MAY 2016 Oral Answers 664 Office deals only with the most complex and difficult improved under the direction of the current director. cases, so it is not surprising that of all the cases reported, She is right, however, that questions were asked about not all of which will be prosecuted by anyone, it deals the funding model. There is a balance to be struck, with only a small proportion. It is set up to deal with the as I indicated to the hon. Member for Huddersfield most difficult and complex cases, and that is what it (Mr Sheerman). We have to make sure that the Serious does. Fraud Office has the money it needs, and we will. The director will never refuse to proceed in a case for lack of 14. [905132] Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con): Is it funding, so there is no Treasury veto as she suggests. not important that not only the Serious Fraud Office However, we have to balance the need for that money but all other Government agencies have access to with the need not to have unused capacity that is being communications data in order to ensure convictions? paid for by the taxpayer. The blockbuster funding model has so far been considered to strike that balance correctly, The Attorney General: My hon. Friend is entirely but I will of course look carefully at what the chief right. Communications data are important in the inspector says, and we will consider whether further prosecution of all types of offending. For example, the change is appropriate. vast majority of prosecutions in terrorism cases involve such data, but they are also used in relation to fraud. Pro Bono Legal Services That is why the Investigatory Powers Bill currently before the House is so important. 4. Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con): What recent steps he has taken to promote (a) public legal education Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): Is and (b) the provision of pro bono legal services. [905096] the Attorney General conscious of the fact that there is a deep problem in the Serious Fraud Office, in that it 6. Maggie Throup (Erewash) (Con): What recent steps is underfunded and under-resourced and cannot attract he has taken to promote the provision of pro bono legal the greatest talent for complex cases? Is he aware that it services. [905098] is believed that £400 million of British taxpayers’ money is still affected by the disaster with the Icelandic banks 7. Mims Davies (Eastleigh) (Con): What recent steps and should be retrieved? Will he look at the close he has taken to promote (a) public legal education and relationship that the SFO has with the big accountancy (b) the provision of pro bono legal services. [905099] firms, which do not have the necessary expertise in-house, and will he look particularly at Grant Thornton in that 8. Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole) respect? (Con): What recent steps he has taken to promote (a) public legal education and (b) the provision of pro The Attorney General: I am sure the hon. Gentleman bono legal services. [R] [905100] will recognise that I am not going to comment on specific cases. He will understand that it is the responsibility 11. Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con): What of the director of the Serious Fraud Office to decide recent steps he has taken to promote (a) public legal whether to open investigations and prosecutions. In education and (b) the provision of pro bono legal fact, the core funding for the Serious Fraud Office has services. [905129] increased, not decreased. It also has access to so-called blockbuster funding to enable it to take on very large The Solicitor General (Robert Buckland): As Government and substantial cases when the need arises. Were it to pro bono champions, the Attorney General and I continue retain that core capability throughout a given period, it to support, through our co-ordinating committees, a would sometimes not be using it to its fullest extent number of projects that reinforce how important pro when such cases were not on its books, which is an bono work and public legal information are, not just appropriate way to proceed.
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