HC Deb 14 July 1986 vol 101 cc677-8
40. Mr. Nicholas Brown

asked the Attorney-General to what extent he intends to answer parliamentary questions on the Crown Prosecution Service on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The Attorney-General

I ask the House to forgive me for the length of the answer, as this is an important question.

I intend to adopt the proposals set out in the White Paper on "An Independent Prosecution Service for England and Wales". I shall therefore remain answerable in Parliament for decisions or actions that I or the Director of Public Prosecutions and his headquarters staff take on prosecution matters, and for the policy that is applied by the Crown Prosecution Service in the handling of particular cases. For the reasons given in the White Paper, however, I do not think it appropriate to answer in Parliament for the intrinsic merits of particular decisions taken by local prosecutors unless the Director's headquarters staff have in fact been involved in the case in question. In-so-far as cases in which the Director's headquarters staff have been involved are concerned, I propose to continue my existing practice, as a general rule, of confining answers to the basis of the decision in the particular case, without giving details of the evidence or other considerations which have led to a particular decision. In-so-far as cases which are handled locally are concerned, the Director has told me that he is prepared to inquire into the circumstances of particular cases to which his attention is drawn by hon. Members.

Mr. Brown

May I give a cautious welcome to that response? Is the Attorney-General aware that his recent convoluted written answer on the same subject to the hon. Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Mr. Howarth) caused some concern?

The Attorney-General

I hope that I have now cleared up any misunderstanding that there might have been.

Mr. Hind

When my right hon. and learned Friend considers the Crown Prosecution Service, will he bear in mind the present widespread disquiet among the Bar about the difference in payment for days of prosecuting in a magistrates' court between barristers and solicitors? Will he, together with the Lord Chancellor, have a look at the matter in the near future to see whether a more just settlement of that problem can be reached?

The Attorney-General

A great deal of nonsense has been talked about this. The figure of £250 a day has been widely quoted as being the sum that solicitors are likely to be paid. That is rarely paid, and when it is, it is to an experienced equity partner who takes a whole day to deal with difficult cases. Solicitors have higher overheads, and that has been recognised by the Bar.

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