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SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Industrial Action

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [36195]

The Solicitor-General: In my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, no days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in each of the last four years.

In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible details are as follows:

Crown Prosecution Service

There has been only one instance of industrial action in the Crown Prosecution Service in the last four years. On that occasion, in January 2000, 2,079 days were lost.

Treasury Solicitor's Department

There have been no instances of industrial action in the Treasury Solicitor's Department since 5 November 1993.

Serious Fraud Office

There have been no instances of industrial action in the Serious Fraud Office in the last four years.

Legal Costs

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what legal costs have been incurred by her Department in each of the last four years. [34345]

The Solicitor-General [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The legal costs incurred by my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, are included in the Crown Prosecution Service and Treasury Solicitor's Department figures.

Crown Prosecution Service

The legal costs associated with Counsel fees, witness expenses and other prosecution costs incurred by the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last four years were as follows:

£95.2 million in 1997–98


£98.1 million in 1998–99


£99.4 million in 1999–2000


£107.8 million in 2000–01.

'Other prosecution costs' includes costs awarded against the CPS, which in each of the last four years were as follows:

£0.3 million in 1997–98


£0.9 million in 1998–99


£0.3 million in 1999–2000


£0.3 million in 2000–01.

Expenditure on administration related legal costs, comprising Lawyer Agents and Treasury Solicitor's fees, was as follows:

£3.8 million in 1997–98


£4.3 million in 1998–99


£5.3 million in 1999–2000


£6.3 million in 2000–01.

12 Mar 2002 : Column 874W

The cost of employing Counsel and Solicitor advocates in the Crown and Higher Courts increased by 6 per cent. in real terms in 2000–01 compared with the previous year. The increase is a result of greater complexity of cases and length of trails, largely as a result of the introduction of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Treasury Solicitor's Department

The Treasury Solicitor's Department provides legal services to other Government Departments. The legal costs incurred in the last four years were as follows:

£20,063,000 in 1997–98


£20,179,000 in 1998–99


£22,408,000 in 1999–2000


£26,743,000 in 2000–01


£22,340,000 in 2001–02 (to 31 December 2001).

In the course of its work over the last four years, the Treasury Solicitor's Department has also incurred costs instructing barristers and solicitor agents, expert witnesses, inquiry agents and other case expenses. These costs were as follows:

£16,672,000 in 1997–98


£25,945,000 in 1998–99


£25,795,000 in 1999–2000


£31,564,000 in 2000–01


£22,470,000 in 2001–02 (to 31 December 2001).

The vast majority of these costs were recovered through payments from other Government Departments, and were accounted for by them. The Treasury Solicitor's Department incurred the following costs on legal services on its own account for cases undertaken in the general public interest:

£5,307,000 in 1997–98


£3,874,000 in 1998–99


£4,244,000 in 1999–2000


£6,113,000 in 2000–01


£2,139,000 in 2001–02 (to 31 December 2001). Serious Fraud Office

The Serious Fraud Office makes use of external legal services as part of its normal operational and administrative functions.

The Serious Fraud Office's legal costs fall broadly into three areas:

1. The instruction of counsel in cases;

2. Specific advice from external firms;

3. Other civil litigation work carried out by the Treasury Solicitor's Department.

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The legal costs incurred in each of the last four years were as follows:

Instruction of Counsel

£2,563,795 in 1997–98


£2,789,951 in 1998–99


£2,460,647 in 1999–2000


£3,315,211 in 2000–01


£3,568,958 in 2001–02 (to date). Advice from external firms


£0 in 1997–98


£3,373 in 1998–99


£13,185 in 1999–2000


£43,699 in 2000–01


£19,990 in 2001–02 (to date). Civil Litigation Work by Treasury Solicitor's Department


£86,229 in 1997–98


£46,447 in 1998–99


£36,036 in 1999–2000


£1,650 in 2000–01


£2,686 in 2001–02 (to date).

Fair Trade Goods

Mr. Weir: To ask the Solicitor-General, pursuant to her answers of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 895W, and 27 November 2001, Official Report, column 745W, on fair trade goods, if she will review during Fair Trade Fortnight the amount of fairly traded goods used in her Department. [35451]

The Solicitor-General: In my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, there are no plans to review the amount of fairly traded goods used in the Department but it is always ready to use fair trade products when these represent good value.

In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, details are as follows:

Crown Prosecution Service

A review undertaken by the Crown Prosecution Service and its catering provider regarding the use of fair trade products, led to a proposal to promote fair trade confectionery in the staff restaurant facility.

In response to earlier parliamentary questions from the hon. Member, the Crown Prosecution Service reviewed its suppliers' use of fair trade products. This review found that, although the supplier was willing to switch to fair trade products as ingredients in foods, this would mean that the overall cost of meals provided would no longer be competitive with other providers in the area. Therefore it was decided that Fair Trade confectionery items would be sold (on a promotional basis), within the canteen facility.

The Crown Prosecution Service's involvement with fair trade is in relation only to its catering supplier, which manages the canteen in Crown Prosecution Service headquarters at Ludgate Hill. There are no other canteen facilities elsewhere in the Crown Prosecution Service. Therefore, the overall value of the contract is very small.

However, the Crown Prosecution Service encourages ethical purchasing as part of it's purchasing policy.

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Treasury Solicitor's Department

The Treasury Solicitor's Department has no plans to review the amount of fairly traded goods used in the Department, but is always ready to use fair trade products when these represent good value.

The Treasury Solicitor's Department encourages ethical purchasing as a part of it's purchasing policy.

Serious Fraud Office

The Serious Fraud Office has no plans to review the amount of fairly traded goods used in the Department.

When purchasing goods the Serious Fraud Office supports the principles of Government procurement, which means ensuring that the Department obtains overall value for money.

The Serious Fraud Office encourages ethical purchasing as a part of it's overall purchasing policy.

Union Duties

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General how many staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years. [36219]

The Solicitor-General [holding answer 25 February 2002]: In my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, no staff receive paid leave to undertake trade union duties.

In the Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible details are as follows:

Crown Prosecution Service

Facility time allocation in the Crown Prosecution Service is in the form of a block allowance to the two recognised trade unions and it is for the unions to allocate the allowance to their accredited representatives. In each of the last four years, the unions have received a block allowance of 2,674 days. The number of staff receiving paid leave to undertake union duties and the cost to public funds in each of the last four years are as follows:

£

	Number of staff	Cost
1997–98	74	175,984.46
1998–99	92	122,797.73
1999–2000	99	192,346.36
2000–01	129	213,683.55

The cost of facility time as a percentage of the total salary bill for the last four years has been a constant 0.1 per cent. (rounded up).

Treasury Solicitor's Department

Seven members of staff in the Treasury Solicitor's Department receive paid leave to undertake union duties. The total allocation is 40 days per year. The cost to the public funds in each of the last four years was as follows:

£9,943.79 in 1997–98


£11,348.83 in 1998–99


£11,689.57 in 1999–2000


£12,096.37 in 2000–01.

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Serious Fraud Office

No staff in the Serious Fraud Office receive paid leave to undertake trade union duties.

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