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9 Nov 2005 : Column 574W—continued

Norway

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Norway to encourage that country to join the European Union. [25341]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met his new Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Gahr St're, on 26 October. Mr. St're explained Norway's approach to EU membership. The United Kingdom would welcome Norway as a partner in the European Union, but the question of applying for EU membership is a matter for the Norwegian Government and people.

Sudan

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the sixth round of inter-Sudanese peace talks on Darfur. [22895]

Ian Pearson: The sixth round of the inter-Sudanese peace talks on Darfur concluded on 20 October. Overall, the parties engaged more constructively than in previous rounds and some progress was made. All three areas identified for inclusion in a final peace agreement, power sharing, wealth sharing and security arrangements, were discussed. The parties agreed two out of the nine agenda items for negotiations on power sharing, adopted the agenda for wealth sharing negotiations to begin at the next round and held informal consultations on security arrangements.

But much greater progress needs to be made at the next round of talks, due to begin on 21 November. The African Union (AU) plans to hold workshops in between rounds on wealth sharing and security arrangements, to enable negotiations on these issues to take place in parallel with power sharing. We and our international partners will continue to co-ordinate our strategy in support of the AU, including through the provision of experts to these workshops. We are also working to help resolve the internal divisions within the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army.

The UK remains fully committed to the AU-led peace talks on Darfur. The UK observer will continue to attend the talks in support of the AU mediation and the parties to help them reach the political solution the people of Darfur need.

Yemen

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to help the Yemeni Government fight terrorism. [25116]

Dr. Howells: We enjoy a constructive political dialogue with the Yemeni Government on counter-terrorism. We also have an extensive programme of counter-terrorism capacity building of the Yemeni authorities in, for example, maritime security, investigative techniques, forensic and crime scene management. We spent £800,000 on counter-terrorism capacity building in Yemen in financial year 2004–05.
 
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Zimbabwe

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Governments of (a) Botswana and (b) Namibia steps they could take to encourage Zimbabwe to make their Government more democratic and accountable. [24293]

Ian Pearson: Ministers will continue to take every opportunity to discuss with African Ministers, including from Namibia and Botswana, issues that affect the region, including the political situation in Zimbabwe. On 22 June my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary challenged African leaders to recognise the scale of the problem in Zimbabwe and we continue to urge them to press the Government of Zimbabwe to restore democracy, and respect human rights and the rule of law.

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK's current relations with Zimbabwe. [24972]

Ian Pearson: On 1 November my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary confirmed that we maintain full diplomatic relations with the Government of Zimbabwe, which is important for the consular protection of British passport holders and also ensures we have a full understanding about the situation in Zimbabwe. But the Government have made no attempt to disguise our abhorrence for Mugabe's policies which continue to diminish the quality of life for ordinary Zimbabweans. We continue to call for a return to democratic governance, full respect for human rights and the rule of law.

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK Government have made to (a) the UN and (b) the Government of Zimbabwe regarding the human rights record of the Zimbabwe regime; and if he will make a statement. [24975]

Ian Pearson: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is in regular touch with the UN Secretary-General on Zimbabwe. The Secretary-General made a statement on 31 October, deploring Zimbabwe's refusal to accept UN assistance following his recent housing clearances (Operation Murambatsvina). The UK and our international partners have also ensured that Zimbabwe is raised at the UN Security Council, most recently on 27 July and 4 October. We will continue our work with the UN to build the pressure on Mugabe to reform. Our ambassador in Harare raises our concerns directly with the Government of Zimbabwe. In June he called on the Vice President to express our grave concern about the brutality of Operation Murambatsvina.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to try to stop the evictions of white Zimbabwean farmers; and if he will make a statement. [25115]

Ian Pearson: The Government, together with EU and other international partners, have condemned the chaotic and brutal handling of the state-sponsored land grabs together with other flawed policies in Zimbabwe that have resulted in the fastest shrinking economy in
 
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the world. This has ruined the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe, impoverishing the farming community and destroying the livelihoods of local farm workers and their families.

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on human rights in Zimbabwe. [25320]

Ian Pearson: The Government's views on human rights in Zimbabwe are set out clearly in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Annual Report. Since its publication in July, Operation Murambatsvina has made 700,000 Zimbabweans homeless and destitute, and new constitutional amendments allowing for passports to be withdrawn, thereby denying individuals their right to free movement, have underlined the Government of Zimbabwe's continued lack of respect for human rights. We will continue to work for the restoration of the rule of law and good governance in Zimbabwe.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Abandoned Court Cases

Mr. Carswell: To ask the Solicitor-General what percentage of cases handled by the Crown Prosecution Service were abandoned in error in each of the last 10 years. [25451]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes a substantial number of cases, a proportion of which are abandoned. It is not known how many may have been abandoned in error.

Since April 2004, the CPS has recorded the reason for each decision to abandon proceedings on its Compass Case Management System. The attached table gives information drawn from the system for 2004–05 and for 2005–06 to date, showing outcome reasons numerically, and expressing each as a proportion of all cases completed during the year. Also shown are the number and proportion of cases acquitted by the courts, and the number and proportion resulting in conviction.

The various reasons are divided into: administrative finalisations (where the defendant cannot be traced by the police, has died, or has been found unfit to plead); evidential reasons; public interest reasons; cases in which a prosecution cannot proceed; and all other reasons.

The figures show that the proportion of abandoned prosecutions has fallen year on year, from 17.4 per cent. of completed cases in 2004–05, to 15.4 per cent. in 2005–06 to date.

It will also be seen that substantial numbers of cases are dropped unavoidably: for example where the victim, or another witness, refuses to give evidence, or fails to attend court, where key legal elements arc missing from the prosecution case; or where there is a conflict of evidence.
 
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Reasons for prosecutions dropped 2004–05

NumberAs percentage of completed cases
Administrative finalisations (18)51,5894.3
E10 Key witness does not support case1,5030.1
E11. Unreliable/lack of identification7,1520.6
El Inadmissible evidence—Breach of PACE3300.0
E2 Inadmissible evidence—other than Breach of PACE1,0480.1
E3 Unreliable confession1520.0
E4 Conflict of evidence6,5040.5
E5 Essential medical evidence missing4540.0
E6 Essential forensic evidence missing1,3870.1
E7 Essential legal element missing32,3302.7
E8 Unreliable witness or witnesses3,9010.3
E9 Key victim does not support case4,8580.4
Total dropped for evidential reasons59,6195.0
P12 Effect on victim's physical or mental health5150.0
P13 Defendant elderly or in significant ill health1,3880.1
P14 Loss or harm minor and single incident6010.1
P15 Loss or harm put right1,1650.1
P16 Long delay between offence/charge or trial2,8390.2
P17 Very small or nominal penalty2,8780.2
P18 Other indictment / sentence8,8710.7
P19 Informer or other public interest immunity issues1,7310.1
P20 Caution more suitable5,1720.4
P21 Youth of offender1600.0
Total dropped for public interest reasons25,3202.1
U22 File not received from police— adjournment refused2,0060.2
U23 CPS not ready—adjournment refused1,7150.1
U24 Offence taken into consideration5350.0
U25 Victim refuses to give evidence or retracts10,1440.8
U26 Other witness refuses to give evidence or retracts1,2630.1
U27 Victim fails to attend unexpectedly4,7180.4
U28 Other civilian witness fails to attend unexpectedly1,7810.1
U29 Police witness fails to attend unexpectedly1,4790.1
U30 Victim intimidation260.0
U31 Other civilian witness intimidation330.0
U32 Documents produced at court9,2180.8
Total in which prosecution unable to proceed32,9182.7
O33 Bind over acceptable15,9291.3
O34 Acquittal after trial7170.1
O35 Other23,3101.9
Total dropped for other reasons39,9563.3
Total dropped209,40217.4
Acquittals28,9312.4
Convictions962,43380.2
Total completed1,200,766100.0


(18) An administrative finalisation is recorded where a defendant cannot be traced by the police, or has died, or has been found unfit to plead.



Reasons for prosecutions dropped 2005–06 (1 April to 2 November 2005)

NumberAs percentage of completed cases
Administrative finalisations (19)22,2163.3
E10 Key witness does not support case9450.1
E11 Unreliable/lack of identification3,8480.6
El Inadmissible evidence—Breach of PACE1630.0
E2 Inadmissible evidence—other than Breach of PACE4670.1
E3 Unreliable confession470.0
E4 Conflict of evidence3,9750.6
E5 Essential medical, evidence missing2070.0
E6 Essential forensic evidence missing7430,1
E7 Essential legal element missing20,5633.0
E8 Unreliable witness or witnesses2,2480.3
E9 Key victim docs not support case3,5490.5
Total dropped for evidential reasons36,7555.4
P12 Effect on victim's physical or mental health2800.0
P13 Defendant elderly or in significant ill health8770.1
P14 Loss or harm minor and single incident4570.1
P15 Loss or harm put right8360.1
P16 Long delay between offence/charge or trial1,4170.2
P17 Very small or nominal penalty1,8290.3
P18 Other indictment / sentence5,1260.8
P19 Informer or other public interest immunity issues8180.1
P20 Caution more suitable3,2500.5
P21 Youth of offender1690.0
P36 Inappropriate to compel victim740.0
P37 Inappropriate to compel witness280.0
Total dropped for public interest reasons15,1612.2
U22 File not received from police— adjournment refused1,3070.2
U23 CPS not ready—adjournment refused9050.1
U24 Offence taken into consideration2550.0
U25 Victim refuses to give evidence or refracts5,2180.8
U26 Other witness refuses to give evidence or retracts6360.1
U27 Victim, fails to attend unexpectedly2,7500.4
U28 Other civilian witness fails to attend unexpectedly1,0530.2
U29 Police witness fails to attend unexpectedly8190.1
U30 Victim intimidation80.0
U31 Other civilian witness intimidation110.0
U32 Documents produced at court4,3400.6
Total in which prosecution unable to proceed17,3022.6
O33 Bind over acceptable7,5631.1
O34 Acquittal after trial3760.1
O35 Other4,8230.7
Total dropped for other reasons12,7621.9
Total dropped104,19615.4
Acquittals17,7442.6
Convictions555,51382.0
Total completed677,453100.0


(19) An administrative finalisation is recorded where a defendant cannot be traced by the police, or has died, or has been found unfit to plead



 
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