Appendix 1
Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from the
Solicitor General
I am writing to you, in the Attorney General's absence
abroad, to send you the Government's Response to the Committee's
report on the CPS, "The CPS; Gatekeeper of the Criminal Justice
System".
As the Attorney General said when she wrote to you
in November to explain why our Response was delayed, we very much
welcomed the thoughtful and comprehensive nature of your Inquiry.
Like you, we believe that the prosecutor plays a pivotal (and
often under acknowledged) role in the Criminal Justice System
and has, potentially, a greater role to play in the future.
Whilst I very much regret that it was not possible
to send the Response to you before now, I hope that you will agree
that the document reflects a substantial number of very recent
developments. In consequence, an earlier version would have been
incomplete and therefore potentially misleading. My officials
have sought to keep the Committee informed during this time.
The Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions
and I share a commitment to the delivery of consistent and high
quality prosecution services to the public, and are proud of the
improvements which have been made to date. There remain a number
of challenges to the CPS, and to the delivery of effective prosecution
services as a whole. The Committee's careful consideration is
of value to the Government and to the services themselves as they
continue to enhance their performance.
Vera Baird QC MP
Solicitor General
5 January 2010
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