§ Sir P. Rawlinsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross sum from public funds paid in respect of the administration of justice and the provision of legal services, expressed as a proportion of total Government expenditure.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettExpenditure on the "administration of justice" by central Government and local authorities, including legal aid, accounted for 0.4 per cent. of their total expenditure in 1974–75. The costs of the Department of Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor and the Lord Advocate's Department in providing "legal services for Government Departments" accounted additionally for about one-tenth of 1 per cent. The figures are on a net expenditure basis since comprehensive figures are not available of all receipts taken into account in arriving at net expenditure. The percentages quoted above make no allowance for the costs of legal staff attached to Government Departments not responsible for the administration of justice, or for the cost to local authorities of providing legal services to their departments.