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Central Office of Information

Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what performance targets he has set for the Central Office of Information for the current year. [39939]

Mr. Freeman: My primary objective for the Central Office of Information is to complete the implementation of changes announced on 23 November last year that will refocus the work of the agency and increase its efficiency.

The key performance targets for COI in 1996-97 will be:

Financial
To break even before exceptional items in modified historical cost terms, after recovering all costs, including interest on borrowings.
Efficiency
To achieve a 3 per cent. reduction in unit cost of output in real terms, before exceptional costs, while maintaining suitable levels of quality.
Quality
To equal or better the proportion of work delivered in accordance with specification during 1995-96.
To equal or better the proportion of work delivered on time during 1995-96.
To achieve an average score of 8.2 out of 10 for the COI customer satisfaction index.

Security Facilities Executive

Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has set the performance targets for the Security Facilities Executive; and if he will make a statement. [39940]

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Mr. Freeman: I have set the following performance targets for SAFE for the financial year 1996-97. I recognise that the income and expenditure of the agency will be affected by the proposed sale of the custody service in early 1997. I will take this into account in due course.

Financial
Achieve:
100 per cent. full cost recovery in accruals terms including 6 per cent. cost of capital but excluding restructuring costs
91 per cent. full recovery in accruals terms including 6 per cent. cost of capital and restructuring costs
The 100 per cent. full cost recovery target was achieved for 1995-96.
Produce a surplus of £1 million (excluding restructuring costs). This target was not achieved in 1995-96.
Sales
Achieve a sales turnover of £40 million. This target was achieved in 1995-96.
Efficiency
Achieve no less than 4 per cent. efficiency gain in running costs.
Quality of Service
Achieve a weighted 91 per cent. satisfaction rating in customer satisfaction surveys. The target of 90 per cent. was achieved in 1995-96.
Achieve for GCS and IDS operations and maintain for all other businesses the standards of ISO 9000 on quality management systems. This target was achieved for GCS/IDS workshop, custody services and special services group in 1995-96.
Prepare statement of intent and begin programme leading to Investors in People accreditation in 1998. This is a new target.

Environment
Achieve an annual average of 25.5 miles per gallon for the GCS/IDS fleet. The target--of 25 miles per gallon--was achieved in 1995-96.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Bowbelle

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to make a decision on whether to prosecute the master of the Bowbelle. [39455]

The Attorney-General: I refer to the written answer which I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes), Official Report, column 206.

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Attorney-General when the Crown Prosecution Service received the transcripts of the evidence given at the inquest which followed the sinking of the Marchioness; what factors have prevented a decision being taken on whether to initiate a prosecution; when such a decision is expected; and if he will make a statement. [39017]

The Attorney-General: The transcripts became available in stages, the final instalment have being received on Friday 15 December 1995. The Crown

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Prosecution Service has sought the advice of senior counsel. The matter is complex but the Director of Public Prosecutions expects to issue her decision very shortly.

Parliamentary Questions (Meetings)

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions ministerial conference and meeting rooms in the parliamentary estate have been booked in his name, or that of the Solicitor-General, for meetings with Conservative Members immediately preceding questions to his Department in the current parliamentary Session. [39525]

The Attorney-General: None.

Departmental Vehicles (Traffic Violations)

Ms Glenda Jackson: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the number of traffic violations involving Departmental vehicles, the nature of the violations, and the total amount of fines arising from those violations, in each year since 1986. [39314]

The Solicitor-General: The following information relates to vehicles operated by the Crown Prosecution Service under arrangements which began in 1991. It does not include vehicles provided to the Law Officers' departments by the Government car service:

Year	Number of violations	Nature	Total fines (£)
1991	1	Parking offence	16
1992	4	Parking offences	135
1993	2	Parking offences	90
1994	5	Parking offences	300
1995	3	Parking offences	80
	1	Failure to comply with traffic lights	nil

Crown Prosecutors

Mr. Stewart: To ask the Attorney-General what guidance the Director of Public Prosecutions has issued to Crown prosecutors on the application for the code of Crown prosecutors. [40012]

The Attorney-General: An explanatory memorandum was issued to all Crown prosecutors in June 1994, giving guidance on how the code for Crown prosecutors should be applied in individual cases. That explanatory memorandum has recently been revised and will shortly be provided to all Crown prosecutors. Copies will also be made available to other prosecuting authorities, the police and other interested agencies.

The revisions focus on the evidential sufficiency test and amount to a shift in emphasis in three principal ways. First, Crown prosecutors are encouraged to try to secure further evidence when they do not think there is sufficient to prosecute and, in cases of doubt, to ask themselves whether there is no realistic prospect of conviction rather than conclude that the case is too evenly balanced to prosecute. Secondly, Crown prosecutors are urged to focus their attention only on specific identifiable lines of defence which the prosecution must seek to overcome from the outset, and to ignore speculative defences.

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Thirdly, guidance is given on the distinction between those cases that are evidentially complex or difficult and those that are simply weak. Confusing the two types of case may cause some prosecutors to conclude that there is not a realistic prospect of conviction, when a more experienced prosecutor would explore and find ways of overcoming what are difficulties, rather than inherent weaknesses. The guidance should increase the ability of Crown prosecutors to identify and then overcome what might otherwise be perceived as insuperable obstacles to a successful prosecution.

The revised explanatory memorandum is being printed and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses as soon as they are available.

ISC-Ferranti

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Attorney-General on what date the offices of ISC in West London were sealed by agents of Her Majesty's Government. [36698]

The Attorney-General [holding answer 17 July 1996]: The offices of ISC in west London were never sealed by officials of the Serious Fraud Office or by the police who worked in conjunction with them.

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Attorney-General when his office was advised of evidence of fraud related to ISC-Ferranti committed within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom; and what subsequent action was taken.[36696]

The Attorney-General [holding answer 17 July 1996]: In September 1989 the Serious Fraud Office commenced an investigation into suspected fraud relating to ISC-Ferranti, and my office was informed. The investigation was carried out in close co-operation with the United States prosecuting authorities, because they had already commenced a separate investigation and it was apparent that all the potential defendants were United States citizens residing in the United States.

At the conclusion of the investigation, 17 individuals and three corporations were indicted in the United States on charges of fraud.

In December 1991, James Guerin, the former deputy chairman of Ferranti International Signals plc--the company which resulted from the merger of Ferranti and ISC in 1987--pleaded guilty before the federal court in Philadelphia to offences involving fraud in respect of the merged company, committed both in the United Kingdom and in the USA. All offences which might have been the subject of a United Kingdom trial were encompassed in the US indictment, and thus no proceedings were taken in the United Kingdom. James Guerin was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list each instance in which he exercised the power of the nolle prosegui in relation to the collapse of ISC-Ferranti. [36697]

The Attorney-General [holding answer 17 July 1996]: No nolle prosequi was issued in relation to the collapse of ISC-Ferranti. James Guerin, the former deputy chairman of Ferranti International Signals plc, and Robert

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Shireman, former financial director of ISC (Technologies) Ltd., who had entered into plea agreements with the United States Attorney were granted limited immunity from prosecution by the then director of the Serious Fraud Office. The Serious Fraud Office undertook, in return for their co-operation with the investigation, not to prosecute Mr. Guerin and Mr. Shireman here for any offence in respect of which they were to be prosecuted in the United States. Mr. Geurin was subsequently sentenced to the United States to 15 years' imprisonment.

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Attorney-General when his office was advised that there was evidence of fraud related to the merger of ISC and Ferranti; and which agency or agencies so advised. [36695]

The Attorney-General [holding answer 17 July 1996]: My office was first advised on the inquiry by the Serious Fraud Office in September 1989, and was thereafter kept informed of the progress of the inquiry.

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