CPS welcomes publication of performance reports
13/12/2005
Reports on the performance of 22 CPS areas show that 19 were fair or better, of which two were excellent. The areas rated excellent or good constitute 55 per cent of the total.
CPS Chief Executive Richard Foster welcomed publication today of the first batch of Overall Performance Assessments by Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. The reports cover 22 of the 42 CPS areas.
Mr Foster said: "As a public organisation, the CPS must be accountable for its performance and it is important that its performance is measured and monitored by an independent body.
"I welcome the fact that 55 per cent of this first batch of reports show areas are performing to an excellent or a good level. A fair rating is satisfactory but with scope for improvement. There are three areas where the overall rating is poor. We are taking immediate and decisive steps to address aspects of work where we are under-performing and we aim to have these three areas performing to at least a fair standard by the time of the next inspection.
"The CPS is going though many significant changes and these assessments will assist us to help all areas perform to the standards of the best."
The assessments cover 14 aspects of each area's work and award an overall grade depending on performance. Five "critical" categories of work are weighted more heavily because of their importance to the CPS's aims. These include pre-charge decision making, ensuring successful outcomes in casework and services to victims and witnesses.
Three areas were rated good or fair across several categories, but because of this weighting were rated poor overall. Similarly, two Areas were excellent in one or two categories but were rated fair overall.
Notes to Editors
- National media enquiries to CPS Press Office on 020 7796 8106. Regional media should contact Area Communications Managers through numbers published on this website in Your Local CPS,
- For further information about the assessments, and copies of the reports, please contact the HMCPSI Communications Manager, Michael Fogg, 020 7210 1143 or 07901 856 346.
- The table below provides a breakdown of the overall assessment of the 22 Areas. The remaining 20 assessments are nearing completion and the second batch will be published in spring 2006.
CPS Area Assessment Bedfordshire Poor Cheshire Good Cleveland Good Cumbria Poor Derbyshire Fair Devon & Cornwall Poor Dorset Good Durham Good Dyfed Powys Fair Greater Manchester Good Gloucestershire Fair Gwent Fair Humberside Excellent Kent Fair Lancashire Good Lincolnshire Fair Norfolk Good North Wales Fair North Yorkshire Good Northumbria Good South Yorkshire Excellent Warwickshire Good
