§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Attorney-General if he will state the criteria used and the factors taken into account by the Director of Public Prosecutions in deciding to bring prosecutions in the case of the seven service men based in Cyprus for alleged breaches of the Official Secrets Acts.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe Director of Public Prosecutions in deciding to bring the prosecutions, and the Attorney-General in deciding to give his consent, each directed himself by reference to and in accordance with the guidelines on "Criteria for Prosecution" published by the Attorney-General in February 1983, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House of Commons.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Attorney-General what has been the total cost to public funds to date of the trial of the seven service men based in Cyprus on charges relating to the Official Secrets Acts.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe total cost to public funds of an individual trial cannot at any date be ascertained. It comprises numerous elements borne by different Government Departments. For the most part these are absorbed in the general running costs of the Department concerned. It is not the practice to publish individual fees payable to counsel or solicitors from public funds, which in any event cannot be ascertained until after taxation of bills of costs.