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Newspaper Advertising
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what has been the expenditure of her (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non- departmental public bodies on newspaper advertising by title in each year since 1997. [26985]
Clare Short: The Department for International Development (DFID) expenditure on recruitment advertising in 2000 and 2001 is listed by publication on the spreadsheet. Figures for 1997–99 are not available.
In addition, DFID commissioned a 12 page report in The Independent on the subject of globalisation to accompany the new White Paper on Eliminating World Poverty. The report was published on 12 December 2000 at a cost of £36,589, plus production and incidental costs of £3,687.
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(4) Nil
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SOLICITOR-GENERAL
Fraud
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Solicitor-General what estimate her Department has made of the cost to its budget since 1 May 1997 of fraud; and if she will make a statement. [27289]
The Solicitor-General: There have been no instances of fraud within the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers during the period since 1 May 1997 and no cost to its budget.
There have been no instances of fraud within the Serious Fraud Office since 1 May 1997 and no cost to its budget.
Although the Treasury Solicitor's Department has suffered three frauds since 1 May 1997, none has involved any cost to the budget of that Department. The first, in 1998, was a fraud within Government Property Lawyers, which at that time was a separate agency, and involved the improper use of client money, resulting in a loss of £1.2 million to the Exchequer. The second, in 2000, was the theft of jewellery to the value of £250 which reduced the proceeds of Bona Vacantia to the Consolidated Fund. The third, in 2001, involved the misappropriation of £170,000 from the proceeds of Bona Vacantia through the use of forged wills. The loss was to the Consolidated Fund. Of the sum lost, £47,000 has since been recovered and action continues to recover further sums. Details of the three frauds are set out in the Annual Fraud Report, copies of which are available in the Library.
There have been seven instances of fraud against the Crown Prosecution Service since 1 May 1997 involving a total cost to the budget of £8,426.98.
Fraud is treated seriously by all the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible. There are cost implications against budgets from maintaining proactive systems of financial control and governance seeking to ensure fraud against the Departments does not occur. Such costs are, however, an integral part of the general management of the Departments and are not separately assessable.
Crown Prosecution Service
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Solicitor-General when she expects to respond to the Crown Prosecution Service inspectorate report on the CPS in London; and if she will make a statement. [27279]
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The Solicitor-General: The HMCPSI report on London was published 13 December 2001. The substance of any Inspectorate report is always the subject of discussion between the Law Officers in their capacity as superintending Ministers and the Director of Public Prosecutions, who is the Head of the Crown Prosecution Service. In this instance, the Attorney-General and I have been closely involved in decisions about the response to the report from the time when it appeared from the emerging finding that there were a number of issues of concern to be addressed. Additionally, I have undertaken a series of visits to units in London to establish at first-hand what have been particular problems which CPS London faces.
The environment in which CPS London operates and has operated since its creation makes it different from any other CPS area—in particular, the transient nature of the population and the difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified and unqualified staff. Now that better funding arrangements have been put in place it should be possible to recruit staff "to the level required" and to ensure that basic systems are maintained. The area is currently involved in a rolling recruitment campaign to increase the numbers of lawyers and administrative staff employed in London.
The area is currently involved in a rolling recruitment campaign to increase the numbers of lawyers and administrative staff employed in London.
The area will be producing by the end of January a detailed "action plan" which will address all recommendations made by the CPS Inspectorate. The Attorney-General and I will take a close interest in the implementation of the plan, and this will be followed by a review.
Senior management have completed a review which is now being implemented. This has meant an increase in the number of Assistant Chief Crown Prosecutors from three to five, who exercise firmer control of the units for which they are responsible.
Much has been done already to address issues of concern, working with the police. These include dealing with the number of ineffective trials and the high rate of discharged committals. By adopting this approach the area should be able to build upon the many features of their operation which were commended by HMCPSI.
Finally, a Ministerial Committee, which I chair, has been established which focuses on criminal justice system issues as a whole in London.
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