§ 16. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state with itemised details the cost to Her Majesty's Treasury of the proceedings before the magistrates and of the recent trial of Dr. Adams at the Central Criminal Court.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. J. Enoch Powell)The accounts and claims for fees have not yet all been received. Until they have been analysed and taxed it is not possible to furnish the information required.
§ Mr. HughesIs the Financial Secretary in a position to say whether the figures to which he has referred will include any of the considerable expenses to which this accused person, found not guilty, was put for his defence? Is it the intention of the Treasury to pay any part of those latter expenses?
§ Mr. PowellThat appears to me to be a different question, and I should like to see it put down before answering it.
§ Mr. S. SilvermanCan the hon. Gentleman confirm that although he does not know the figure the costs must have been very substantial indeed to the prosecution? Is he aware that in spite of the expenditure of what must have been a very large sum of money at the trial the prosecution seemed to be totally unaware of a number of basic and elementary facts which the defence was able to produce? Will he consider whether the money, whatever sum it was, was wisely and efficiently spent?
§ Mr. PowellThe question both of the initiation and the conduct of the case is not a matter for me but for the Attorney-General.
§ Mr. PowellThere will be no avoidable delay in obtaining them, but a good deal of work has to be done yet in taxation.