§ Mr. Morganasked the Attorney-General what function is performed by his clerk in the nomination of counsel to conduct prosecutions and other Treasury cases, the fees for which are paid out of funds provided by the Exchequer; what qualifications his clerk possesses for making or recommending such nominations; and in what manner his clerk is remunerated for this activity.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI am responsible for the nomination of counsel to conduct prosecutions and other Treasury cases in England and Wales the fees for which are paid out of funds provided by the Exchequer. I accept personal responsibility for all nominations but my clerk assists by nominating junior counsel in consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions or other Department involved and in accordance with strict guidelines which I have laid down; the most important of which is that as far as possible the work is equally shared out amongst those whom I regard as eligible for the work. He also keeps records of all briefs allocated and returned and is responsible for the clerical work and discovering which counsel are free at a particular time.
This work requires the knowledge and skills which my clerk acquires as clerk to a busy set of chambers. His remuneration for this work comes out of public funds and is paid through the Treasury Solicitor's Department.