§ Mr. SpellarTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what were the costs to the public purse of the abandoned case at Winchester Crown court in respect of conspiracy to defraud Wessex regional health authority.
Mr. John M. TaylorI am not able to state the amount of the costs to the public purse as a re-trial was ordered by the trial judge and accurate figures will not be available until the case has been concluded and the bills of costs determined. In any event, not all these costs will have been wasted, as much of the preparation work by solicitors and counsel will not need repeating.