§ Lord Cocks of Hartcliffeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer given by the Lord Chancellor on 4 July 1995 (WA 73–74) on the case of Dr. Jawad Hashim, whether any further amounts have since been paid to Mr. Colin Ross-Munro or Mr. Hugo Page; and, if the fees have since been settled, what was the total amount paid.
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)The total amounts paid to date to Mr. Colin Ross-Munro QC and Mr. Hugo Page are as follows:
Mr. Colin Ross-Munro QC: £691,623.
Mr. Hugo A. M. Page: £540,721.
The amount above for Mr. Colin Ross-Munro QC is less than that previously quoted. This is due to recoupment by the Legal Aid Board of payments made on account, prior to the assessment of final claims in respect of the main proceedings between Dr. Hashim and the Arab Monetary Fund. Final costs will not be known until all outstanding claims in respect of other related proceedings have been taxed.
It is now established that Dr. Hashim is the owner of very substantial assets which were not disclosed at the time of his application for legal aid. The case has prompted the Legal Aid Board to introduce a whole range of measures to ensure that such an outcome will not occur again. These measures include advice from an independent counsel on the merits of the case and the creation of a special investigation unit to investigate applications received from those with complex financial affairs.