HL Deb 12 March 2003 vol 645 cc185-6WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service are qualified to supply legal opinions; and in which departments they are located.[HL1756]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

All lawyers are professionally qualified to supply legal opinions but not all lawyers who are members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service are employed in that capacity.

Within the Northern Ireland Office there are 101 NICS legal staff. A total of 96 are located in the Crown Solicitor's Office, the Department of Public Prosecutions, Compensation Agency and the Criminal Justice Directorate; three are seconded to the Police Service for Northern Ireland and one to the Northern Ireland Court Service.

Legal advice and services to the Northern Ireland government departments are normally provided by the Departmental Solicitor's Office, which is a directorate of the Department of Finance and Personnel. The Departmental Solicitor's Office comprises 50 lawyers, two of whom are out-posted to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

In addition, three other Northern Ireland government offices provide specialist legal services. The Office of the Legislative Counsel, located in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, which is responsible for drafting Northern Ireland legislation and advising on legislative and related constitutional matters, has a complement of seven lawyers, and the Office of Law Reform, located in the Department of Finance and Personnel. which provides advice to Ministers on the review and reform of the civil law, currently has a complement of four. Finally, the Land Registers of Northern Ireland, also located in the Department of Finance and Personnel, which administers three public registries in relation to legal interests in land, has a complement of five lawyers.

Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they consider that legal advice from lawyers employed in the Northern Ireland Civil Service over the past two years is available to them at all times. [HL1871]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

No. Only legal advice given by NICS lawyers during suspension is available to the Government at all times. During devolution, advice given to the devolved administration is not available to the Government. During suspension. as indicated in the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 13 February 2003 (WA 144), the Government act in conformity with the convention that Ministers do not ask to see the advice given by a previous administration.