Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, whether the Attorney General held discussions with the (a) CPS and (b) Director of Public Prosecutions on the available evidence prior to the decision not to proceed with prosecution in the case on Chinese espionage.

Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Consent was given by my predecessor on 3 April 2024. Following that date, no Law Officer intervened in the case at any stage.

Where a case can no longer proceed because of evidential reasons, as in this case, then the requirement is that the CPS informs the Attorney General of the decision as soon as it is taken.

The decision to offer no evidence was a decision made by the CPS, without any political influence, by the Attorney General or me, as the CPS has already confirmed.