§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how barristers' claimed hours of preparation are monitored; and what percentage of such claims are met without independent verification. [42267]
§ Mr. HoonIn standardised fee cases, the preparation hours do not influence the fee level because the fee prescribed relates to the case as a whole or a discrete item of work. Standardised fees account for 90 per cent. of criminal cases. Standardised fees for advocacy in family cases are to be introduced later this year. In non-standard fee cases, the fees are paid following independent taxation or assessment when the reasonableness of the hours claimed is one of the factors taken in to account.
§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the 50 banisters who have received the largest sums of money, taking account of both defence and prosecution costs met from public funds, over the last three years. [42266]
§ Mr. HoonThe information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.