Offences against Children: Internet
Margaret Moran MP: To ask the Solicitor-General
whether guidance is provided to the Crown Prosecution Service on the
relationship between viewing online child abuse images and child abuse.
[298912]
The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution
Service (CPS) publishes legal guidance for prosecutors on the
prosecution of offences involving child abuse, and indecent images of
children. I can confirm that the child abuse guidance makes reference to
offences relating to indecent images of children. The guidance is
available on the CPS's website: www.cps.gov.uk 
Margaret Moran MP: To ask the Solicitor-General
how much and what proportion of the budget of the Law Officers'
Departments for 2009-10 has been allocated to the prosecution of
offences of viewing online images of child abuse; and if she will make a
statement. [298913]
The Solicitor-General: Although the Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS) is able to identify the number of offences of
possessing an indecent photograph of a child and of making an indecent
photograph of a child which proceeded to a first hearing, it is not
possible to identify from CPS sources how many of these offences related
to online images and how many to images in other media.
It is also not possible to assess how much the CPS spends on
prosecuting offences of viewing online child abuse images generally.
CPS areas are allocated budgets taking into account their overall
caseload and other pressures. The budget allocation process does not
seek to assess caseload at a detailed level in terms of individual
offences.
Source: Hansard 10 November 2009: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm091110/text/91110w0026.htm#09111081000002
