§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Attorney-General what have been the identifiable costs to date of the investigations into the affairs of the Peter Cameron Webb syndicate and Alexander Howden referred to in his answer of 25 November, Official Report, column 362.
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§ The Prime MinisterThe information is not readily available in the precise form requested. However, separate figures are available for housing benefits and mortgage interest relief as follows:
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe members of the fraud investigation group formed for the purpose of this investigation are, with the exception of counsel and the accountants, full-time salaried officers of the police service or the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions. It is not possible to apportion their salaries between the work devoted to this investigation and their other responsibilities. So far as other costs are concerned, I can only inform the House as to the position of the Director of Public Prosecutions for whom I have ministerial responsibility. The costs incidental to this enquiry borne by his Department are, with the exception of costs incurred by counsel and his staff on travel abroad, absorbed within the overheads of the Department. The costs incurred on travel abroad amount to £6,000. It is the policy of the Director not to divulge the fees paid to counsel or other experts such as accountants in respect of individual cases.