§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people are employed, at what cost, and for how much return, in the Serious Fraud Office.
§ The Lord Advocate (Lord Rodger of Earlsferry)There are currently 137 permanent staff employed at the Serious Fraud Office. The total pay bill including superannuation costs for these staff is £4.85 million. The Serious Fraud Office is currently involved in the investigation or prosecution of 48 cases. Most of the 137 staff referred to above are involved directly in case work. The remainder are responsible for the general administration of the office, including functions such as personnel and finance.
The SFO also employs temporary staff according to operational requirements. Sixty-seven such staff are currently so employed.
Since the Serious Fraud Office became operational in 1988 it has brought 119 cases to trial. These involved 258 defendants, of whom 166 were convicted of one or more offences.