§ 41. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Attorney-General whether he will give a detailed list of the costs involved in the investigation and preliminaries leading up to the High Court case against the Sunday Telegraph and others, and the costs of the trial; how many days were involved; and what will be the costs to the Exchequer and those charged and found not guilty.
§ 42. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Attorney-General what estimate he has made of the total cost to public funds of the recent prosecution of the Sunday Telegraph and others under the Official Secrets Act.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe case lasted seven days in the magistrates' court and 16 days in the Central Criminal Court. As is not unusual in such cases, the Judge ordered that the costs of the defendants should be paid out of local funds. The costs so payable are subject to taxation which has not yet taken place. No order that costs be paid by the Exchequer was made.
Until taxation is complete, I cannot make any estimate about the costs of the prosecution or about the amounts payable out of local funds to the defendants.