Publications (Hansard, 12 March 2002)

§ The Solicitor-General

[holding answer 11 February 2002]: The Attorney-General each year lays before Parliament the Law Officers' Departments Departmental Report setting out the Government's Expenditure Plans and Main Estimates for the Departments for the coming years. The costs of production are not borne by the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers and the circulation figures are not known.

In August 2000 the Attorney-General published a Report by His Honour Gerald Butler QC on the future and role of Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court and published a Government Response to that report in November 2000. Both reports were copied and bound within LSLO. The cost was met within the budgets held for photocopying and stationery and is not separately available. About 100 copies of each were produced.

Crown Prosecution Service

The publications issued by the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last four years were as follows:

1997–98

Departmental Report (Crown Prosecution Service entry in Law Officers' Spring Departmental Report)

Circulation: 250
Cost: £6,838

DPP's Annual Report to the Attorney-General

Circulation: 4,500
Cost: £17,480

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1998–99

Departmental Report (Crown Prosecution Service entry in Law Officers' Spring Departmental Report)

Circulation: 250
Cost: £5,900

DPP's Annual Report to the Attorney-General

Circulation: 4,500
Cost: £22,695

1999–2000

Departmental Report (Crown Prosecution Service entry in Law Officers' Spring Departmental Report)

Circulation: 250
Cost: £6,851

DPP's Annual Report to the Attorney-General

Circulation: 4,500
Cost: £17,574

Business Plan 1999–2000

Circulation: 1,500
Cost: £8,300

2000–01

Departmental Report (Crown Prosecution Service entry in Law Officers' Spring Departmental Report)

Circulation: 250
Cost: £7,024

DPP's Annual Report to the Attorney-General

Circulation: 4,500
Cost: £26,208

Business Plan 2000–01

Circulation: 2,500
Cost: £9,251.

For the purposes of this answer, publications have been taken to mean those significant documents that are issued by the service as a whole to serve both an internal and external audience.

Publication of the "Departmental Report" is mandatory. It is one of the key mechanisms through which Departments demonstrate their accountability to Parliament and the public. The CPS distributes copies to senior management within headquarters, libraries, business managers and to the Chief Crown Prosecutors in the 42 areas across England and Wales. Copies are also sent to the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General and to the Parliamentary Clerk for laying in both Houses, for the benefit of Members.

The purpose of the "Business Plan" is to set out clearly the vision, aim and objectives, and priorities of the CPS, what it wants to achieve with the resources it has been given and the actions it needs to take in order to deliver the plan. They are the blueprint for all other plans in the CPS so that staff know how their day to day tasks fit in with the bigger picture. And, to inform counterparts in other criminal justice departments and their agencies and service, and those with an interest in criminal justice about the direction and priorities of the CPS.

The Crown Prosecution Service's one year "Business Plan"; and the "Director of Public Prosecutions' Annual Report to the Attorney-General" are circulated to all middle and senior managers in the CPS with a summary going to all staff; they are circulated to criminal justice departments and their agencies/services both nationally and locally; to some members of the judiciary; and to those with an interest in criminal justice.

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The Director of Public prosecutions is required by statute to produce an "annual report to the Attorney-General" on the performance of the CPS. The report is laid before Parliament.

Because of uncertainties associated with the election of 1997 and the Gildewell Review of the CPS, which did not report until June 1998, no Business Plans were published for 1997–98 and 1998–99.

Treasury Solicitor's Department

The publications issued by the Treasury Solicitor's Department in each of the last four years were as follows:

1998

Departmental Report (Treasury Solicitor's Department entry in Law Officer's Spring Departmental Report)

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management and the general public.
Cost: £500
Purpose: To present the Department's spending plans to Parliament and the public.

Treasury Solicitor's Department Annual Report 1996–97

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management and staff.
Cost: £12,000
Purpose: Executive Agency requirement.

Government Legal Service Journal (two editions)

Circulation: All Government Legal Service lawyers.
Cost: £3,000
Purpose: To strengthen the corporate identity of and communication within the Government Legal Service.

Government Legal Service Recruitment Brochure

Circulation: Universities and other educational establishments; inquirers and potential applicants.
Cost: £18,500
Purpose: To raise the profile of and attract recruits to the Government Legal Service.

1999

Departmental Report (Treasury Solicitor's Departmental entry in Law Officer's Spring Departmental Report)

Circulation: Universities and other educational establishments; inquirers and potential applicants.
Cost: £18,500
Purpose: To raise the profile of and attract recruits to the Government Legal Service.

Government Legal Service Journal (two editions)

Circulation: Universities and other educational establishments; inquirers and potential applicants.
Cost: £3,500
Purpose: To raise the profile of and attract recruits to the Government Legal Service.

2000

Departmental Report (Treasury Solicitor's Department entry in Law Officer's Spring Departmental Report)

Circulation: Universities and other educational establishments; inquirers and potential applicants.
Cost: £3,500
Purpose: To raise the profile of and attract recruits to the Government Legal Service.

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Government Property Lawyers' Annual Report and Accounts 1997–98 and 1998–99

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management and staff.
Cost: £7,000
Purpose: Executive Agency requirement

Treasury Solicitor's Department Annual Report 1999£2000

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management and staff.
Cost: £10,000
Purpose: Executive Agency requirement

Government Legal Service Journal

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management and staff
Cost: £2,500
Purpose: Executive Agency requirement

Government Legal Service Recruitment Brochure

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management and staff
Cost: £8,000
Purpose: Executive Agency requirement

2001

Departmental Report (Treasury Solicitor's Department entry in Law Officer's Spring Departmental Report)

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management and staff
Cost: £8,000
Purpose: Executive Agency requirement

Treasury Solicitor's Department's Resource Account 1999–2000

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management
Cost: £1,000
Purpose: Departmental requirement

Treasury Solicitor's Department's Annual Reports for 2000–01

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management
Cost: £7,500
Purpose: Departmental requirement

Government Legal Service Journal (four editions)

Circulation: Parliament, Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department management
Cost: £12,000
Purpose: Departmental requirement

Government Legal Service Annual Report for 1999–2000

Circulation: Law Officers, senior Government Legal Service management and all Government Legal Service lawyers
Cost: £21,000
Purpose: To report on key Government Legal Service issues such as recruitment, retention, mobility and diversity.

2002

Government Legal Service Recruitment Brochure

Circulation: Law Offices, senior Government Legal Service management and all Government Legal Service lawyers
Cost: £10,000
Purpose: To report on key Government Legal Service issues such as recruitment retention, mobility and diversity.

This list includes only professionally produced publications for external use. Publications produced in-house have not been included.

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Serious Fraud Office

The Serious Fraud Office has three major publications which are the Annual Report, the Departmental Report and the Resource Accounts. The total cost of publications over the last four years is as follows:

£54,448.63 in 1997–98
£28,219.34 in 1998–99
£22,440.36 in 1999–2000
£49,498.62 in 2000–01
£64,072.64 in 2001–02.

Owing to the nature of the Serious Fraud Office's records relating to its publications, individual costs and circulation figures could not be made available without incurring disproportionate cost.