§ Mr. Martin RedmondTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what was the cost to public funds in 1992–93 of providing barristers(a) to prosecute cases and (b) to defend cases.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe cost of providing barristers to prosecute cases brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, Inland Revenue and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in 1992–93 was £81.7 million. Information on payments made by other prosecution agencies is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Payments to barristers in respect of criminal legal aid amounted to £136.5 million. Payments are also made from central funds in cases where a privately represented defendant is awarded a cost order on acquittal. However, it is not possible to identify payments made specifically to barristers from central funds since the information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.