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Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Solicitor-General how many people were working in a research capacity in the office of the (a) CPS, (b) Attorney-General and (c) Solicitor-General in each year since the inception of the CPS, as a percentage of (i) staff turnover and (ii) the number of people employed. [37777]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 27 February 2002]: The Policy Directorate in CPS Headquarters, based in London and York, presently employs around 60 staff, of which 30 are qualified lawyers. This constitutes 0.05 per cent. of the number of people presently employed by the CPS. Unfortunately, figures to show the number of Policy Directorate staff in each year since the inception of the CPS cannot be disaggregated from recorded data either as a percentage of staff turnover or the number of staff employed.
The Directorate has responsibility for development of prosecution policy, setting standards and giving guidance to CPS staff on the criminal law generally. It also contributes to the development of criminal law by liaising with other agencies on new legislative proposals and initiatives. This often involves research based work for both the legally qualified staff and for a smaller number of administrative staff.
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The office of the Attorney-General and Solicitor- General also does not employ persons in a specific research capacity, but is staffed predominantly by lawyers whose role is to brief the Law Officers on a wide range of issues.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what the total cost to her Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years. [34174]
The Solicitor-General: The total cost to my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, of accountancy services in each of the last four year has been nil. In relation to the other Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, the details are as follows:
The total cost to the Crown Prosecution Service of accountancy services, in each of the last four years has been as follows:
£21,000 in 199899
£23,000 in 19992000
£108,000 in 200001.
The CPS also uses accountants as expert witnesses in criminal prosecutions. Expenditure over the last four years in this respect has been as follows:
£75,000 in 199899
£52,000 in 19992000
£101,000 in 200001.
Treasury Solicitor's Department
The total costs of the Treasury Solicitor's Department's Finance Team for the last four years are as follows:
£645,000 in 199899
£877,000 in 19992000
£1,262,000 in 200001
£726,000 in 200102 (up to 31 December 2001).
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Serious Fraud Office
The Serious Fraud Office has only incurred accounting costs over the last four years by the use of specific accountancy expertise to support case investigation. There have been no administrative accountancy services other than external/internal audit by the National Audit Office and Inland Revenue respectively.
The total costs incurred for accountancy work to support cases have been as follows:
£1,477,816.95 in 199899
£872,523.95 in 19992000
£1,207,917.93 in 200001
£1,482,945.64 in 200102 (to date).
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list for 199798 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the amount spent by (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non- departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by her Department and how much reclaimed. [34460]
The Solicitor-General [holding answer 11 February 2002]: My own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, spent the following sums in providing hospitality and meeting refreshments in 199798 and subsequent financial years:
Due to the accounting system used by the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, the cost information provided could not be divided to show the amount spent on food and alcohol, and the amounts spent on guests, Ministers and staff without incurring disproportionate cost. For the same reason information cannot be provided regarding how much of the money spent by the Department was provided directly by the Department and how much was reclaimed.
In 199798 and subsequent financial years the Crown Prosecution Service spent the following sums in providing hospitality:
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The Department's policy on the provision of hospitality requires that the number of staff at any event must not exceed the number of guests. The thrust of the policy is that CPS representation must be kept to an absolute minimum.
Expenditure on hospitality is restricted to a maximum of £25 per head for lunch and £35 per head for dinner. These sums are to cover all food and drink.
The increase in expenditure in the last two years is a consequence of the CPS policy to raise its profile in the community and in the media. Recent initiatives such as Direct Communication to Victims and the Equality and Diversity Action Plan on Race have been publicly launched to the press and invited members of the public and relevant organisations.
Treasury Solicitor's Department
In 199798 and subsequent financial years the Treasury Solicitor's Department spent the following sums in providing hospitality:
£4,702.97 in 199899
£5,872.31 in 19992000
£5,965.65 in 200001
£4,598.78 in 200102.
In relation to agencies and non-departmental public bodies, the Government Property Lawyers spent the following sums in providing hospitality in 199798 and subsequent financial years:
£684.92 in 199899
£7.62 in 19992000
£0 in 200001
£0 in 200102.
In 199798 and subsequent financial years the Serious Fraud Office spent the following sums in providing hospitality and meeting refreshments:
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This information could not be divided to show the amount spent on food and alcohol, and the amounts spent on guests, Ministers and staff without incurring disproportionate cost. For the same reason information cannot be provided regarding how much of the money spent was provided directly by the Department and how much was reclaimed.
The Serious Fraud Office has neither agencies nor non-departmental bodies.
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