FDA gives cautious welcome to CPS spending increase - 21 July 2004

The FDA, the union representing prosecutors within the Crown Prosecution Service, has today given a guarded welcome to the increased CPS funding announced by the Chancellor in the July Spending Review.

FDA national officer John Merson said: "Clearly we welcome the announcement of additional funding for the CPS. However, against a standstill budget over the next three years and a requirement to make efficiency savings of ?34 million over the same period, we have to ask the question whether it is additional money.

"It is simply not enough, especially at a time when the service is being asked to move into new areas of work, with the introduction of the charging initiative."

The charging initiative, whereby prosecutors rather than the police are taking responsibility for charging suspects in police stations, is due to be rolled out by March 2007.

Kris Venkatasami, the convenor for the CPS section of the FDA, said that the additional ?18 million for the charging initiative was for 2005-06. He added: "What happens now, in the next nine months? Lawyers are currently stretched beyond what is reasonable: they spend three days a week in court, one day in police stations and have only the remaining day to prepare their cases.

"It is not surprising that the recent survey of CPS staff indicated that 54% were unhappy with their work-life balance, and more than two-thirds felt over-worked."

Ends

Notes for Editors
1. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing the UK's 11,000 senior civil and public servants. Our members include policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, crown prosecutors and NHS managers.

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