To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the performance of the Crown Prosecution Service; and if he will make a statement. [32754]

The performance of the Crown Prosecution Service is monitored at regular meetings between the Law Officers and the Director of Public Prosecutions. The service handles about 1.5 million cases per year, with a conviction rate in the year to March 1995 of 97.8 per cent. in the magistrates court and 90.3 per cent. in the Crown court.