Minutes of the CPS Board meeting on 18 May 2011

Present

Keir Starmer (Chair)
Peter Lewis
Mike Kennedy
David Green
Paul Staff
Rob Sykes

Guest

Michael Fuller

Apologies

Doreen Langston

Secretariat

Tamara Moore
Simon Jeal

Item 1: Note of the Last Meeting and Actions Arising

1. The Board agreed the note and actions arising from 23 February 2011.

Item 2: Director's Update

Casework

2. The Director updated the Board in relation to recent high profile cases.

Charging

3. The increase in police charging powers means that the police will now have the ability to charge in approximately 72 per cent of cases, up from 67 per cent. This reflects what has been agreed between the CPS and police.

Advocacy Panels

4. The Scheme opened in March, and has been extended by two months to July.

Committee Evidence

5. The DPP had given evidence to a number of committees including the Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Home Affairs Select Committee, the Select Committee on Culture, Media & Sport, and the Special Committee on the Detention of Terror Suspects.

NEDs

6. Interviews for the appointment of two new Non-executive Board members have been scheduled.

Other Prosecutors

7. Peter Lewis advised that discussions were ongoing.

T3

8. Work on T3 rollout is progressing satisfactorily.

9. Peter Lewis has been confirmed as the SRO for CJS digital working, within the CJS Efficiency Programme.

Item 3: CPS Scorecard

10. The Board agreed the recommendations made to the new CPS Scorecard.

Item 4: People Strategy

11. Mark Summerfield presented an item to the Board on the development of CPS People Strategy.

Item 5: Area Voluntary Early Release Scheme

12. Mark Summerfield provided the Board with an update on arrangements for Voluntary Early Release (VER).

Item 6: Central Fraud Group (CFG)

13. Matthew Wagstaff presented a summary of the Central Fraud Group’s major cases audit.

Item 7: Financial Management

14. Paul Staff asked the Board to note the overall outturn against budgets.

Item 8: Area Restructure

15. Mike Kennedy presented the Board with an update on Area Restructure.

Item 9: Risk

16. Paul Staff presented details of the revisions to the Corporate Risk Register 2010/11.

Item 10: AOB

External Recruitment

17. The Board agreed the continuation of current arrangements for approval to advertise externally.

Next meeting: Wednesday, 21 September, Rose Court.

Strategy and Policy Directorate