§ Mr. MullinTo ask the Attorney-General when he expects the Director of Public Prosecutions to reach a decision regarding possible action against police officers involved in the Birmingham pub bombings case.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Devon and Cornwall police are carrying out further inquiries at the request of the Director of Public Prosecutions, who will not be in a position to make a decision on what action, if any, should be taken until after he has considered the report on these inquiries.
§ Mr. MullinTo ask the Attorney-General what was the total cost to public funds of fees paid(a) to Crown counsel and (b) to counsel for the appellants for their services in relation to the appeal of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.
§ The Attorney-GeneralRecords of the amounts paid to counsel in respect of the 1976 application for leave to appeal are no longer available. For the 1987 appeal a total of £222,484 was paid to the three Crown counsel and a total of £546,084 was paid to counsel for the appellants. No figures are yet available for the 1991 appeal.
§ Mr. MullinTo ask the Attorney-General what has been the total cost to public funds of(a) the trial of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings (b) each of their appeals in 1976, 1987 and 1991 and (c) their civil action against the West Midlands and Lancashire police forces.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe cost of the original trial at the Crown court at Lancaster in 1975 amounted to £237,683, in respect of fees paid to both prosecution and defence lawyers and witness expenses.
The cost of the 1976 application for leave to appeal was approximately £7,361 excluding Crown costs, records of which are no longer available. The costs of the 1987 appeal total £1,084,557. Complete figures are not at present available for the 1991 appeal.
Figures for the civil actions are no longer available.