§ 2. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Attorney-General the cost of the trial of Christie.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI regret that this information is not readily available.
§ Mr. HughesCould the Attorney-General say exactly why it is not available?
§ The Attorney-GeneralYes, I think I could. First of all, the Question deals with the cost of the trial, and, of course, as far as the defence is concerned, I have no right to obtain any particulars. The hon. Gentleman is in as good a position as I am, or even a better position, to get that information. As to the prosecution, the cost is partly a matter of national funds and partly of local funds, and to give a figure would involve approximations and estimates of allocations which, I am advised, are extremely difficult to arrive at.
§ Mr. HughesIs it not possible to tell the House approximately what was the cost to the Crown? Surely this is not a matter of internal security. Why cannot we have the facts?
§ The Attorney-GeneralA considerable amount of approximation and estimation is required, because the actual direct disbursements relating to one particular case can only be arrived at by some kind of calculation.