Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what proportion of cases were charged by (a) the police, (b) the Crown Prosecution Service and (c) another agency in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) each of the previous three financial years.

The Director's Guidance on Charging, issued under the provisions of S37A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), sets out the requirements for police officers and prosecutors during the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases, including those offences which the police and the CPS are responsible for the charge decision.

Under these arrangements the police are responsible for the charge decision in approximately 70% of all cases, with the CPS retaining the decision to charge in the remaining 30% of cases which are the most complex and serious. The CPS is responsible for making the charging decisions in cases brought by other agencies such as DWP, HMRC and DEFRA.

The proportions for the last three years are as follows: