L

Lord Keen of Elie (Con)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 27 October 2025

Debate

Alleged Spying Case: Role of Attorney-General’s Office

Contribution

My Lords, the Attorney-General has a duty to superintend the prosecution agencies and to be consulted about sensitive and high-profile cases. The practice for cases that are likely to be dropped, but of which the Attorney-General was initially informed, is that the Attorney-General is advised in advance of the risk of them being dropped. The public were initially informed that the Attorney-General had been told in August that the China spy prosecution case was at risk, and the Government have now stated that the Attorney-General met with the Crown Prosecution Service on 1 September. As the statutory superintending Minister for the CPS and the DPP, what action did the Attorney-General then take to satisfy himself that all reasonable evidential avenues had been explored before the decision to discontinue the case was taken? Can the Attorney-General confirm that his office reviewed the witness statement submitted on behalf of the Government?

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