§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Attorney-General what information he has as to the average cost to the Crown Prosecution Service of employing(a) a non-civil servant solicitor, (b) a civil servant solicitor and (c) a barrister in magistrate court prosecutions.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Crown Prosecution Service employs both barristers and solicitors as Crown prosecutors to conduct prosecutions in the magistrates courts. The average annual cost outside London of employing a Crown prosecutor is £29,004 and for a senior Crown prosecutor the cost is £35,805. These figures include general administration expenses and accommodation costs as well as salary costs. In London the average costs are higher.
The Crown Prosecution Service also instructs solicitors and barristers in private practice to conduct prosecutions in the magistrates courts on an ad hoc basis as occasion requires locally. The fees paid to a solicitor in private practice lie between £85 and £150 for a half-day session and £125 and £300 for a full-day session (excluding VAT and s travelling expenses) depending on the area of the country and the work involved. The average fee paid to a barrister in private practice for a half-day session is £95 and for a full-day session is £150 (excluding VAT and travelling expenses).