HC Deb 21 July 1969 vol 787 cc266-7W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Attorney-General whether he will give a detailed breakdown of the legal costs to date in the charging and dismissal of Albert Frank Palmer and five others; and whether the £24,500 total costs of the prosecution includes all costs such as police, Queen's Counsel's, barristers' and solicitors' fees.

The Attorney-General

The prosecution costs of the committal proceedings. which began in April, 1968, and ended in January, 1969, when five persons were committed for trial, were made up as follows:

Counsels' fees £19,635
Accountants' fees £2,834
Disbursements (copying etc.) £944
Attendances by officials of D.P.P.'s Office £635
Miscellaneous £195
(figures to nearest pound)

These figures do not include anything for the expenditure of police time on the investigation or of the time of officials in the D.P.P.'s Office in preparing the case.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Attorney-General what were the matters which required investigation by the prosecution in the case of Mr. Albert Frank Palmer; what costs were awarded out of public funds to Mr. Bailey and when these are to be paid; and what was the total cost to public funds of all matters connected with this case.

The Attorney-General

The investigations were into allegations that, with intent to deceive the shareholders, Mr. Palmer concurred in making the Statement of Accounts and Directors Report of Rolls Razors Limited for the year ended 31st December, 1963, which it was alleged he knew to be false in relation to the net assets. I am not aware of an award of costs out of public funds to Mr. Bailey, but Mr. Palmer was awarded his costs out of public funds. The amount to be paid under this order of the court and the date of payment are matters for the court. I refer my hon. Friend to an Answer I gave on the 14th July stating the total prosecution costs in these committal proceedings. To obtain figures for the cost to public funds of the expenditure of the time of police officers and officials in investigating these matters would involve work and expense which would not, in my view, be justified.