§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the(a) 20 solicitors' firms and (b) 20 barristers who have received the largest sums of money from legal aid in the most recent year for which information is available. [38635]
§ Mr. HoonPayments to the 20 solicitors' firms and 20 barristers who received the largest sums of money from the legal aid fund in 1996–97 were as follows:
£ Barristers1 H. David, R. Hood Over 320,000 John B. W. McDonnell Q.C. Daniel J. Brennan Q.C. C. David Allan Q.C. 270,000–319,999 Richard Maxwell Q.C. Judith M. F. Parker Q.C.2 Michael G. Bloch Philip J. Hoser Andrew D. H. Trollope Q.C. Ian G. F. Karsten Q.C. 230,000–269,999 Joanna Dodson Q.C. Allan E. Levy Q.C. 190,000–229,000 Alastair J. D. Wilson Q.C. Deborah A. Eaton2 Stephen J. Irwin Q.C. Henry J. Setright Alison Ball Q.C. Charles J. Lewis Paul M. McCormick Charles A. F. Howard 1 Includes payments for civil legal aid, criminal magistrates legal aid and Advice By Way Of Representation 2 The Department was unable to confirm the figures with the individual concerned The figures quoted are for cash payments made by the Legal Aid Board in 1996–97. They include fees, VAT and other expenses necessarily incurred together with new payments on account less old payments on account recouped. They do not take account of the amounts received or recovered by way of contributions, costs or damages awarded. It should be clearly understood that any payment to a barrister in the year 1996–97 could well reflect payments for several years' work and should not be seen as a measurement of annual income.
It should also be noted that these figures have been calculated on a different basis from previous years where the total amounts paid from the Legal Aid Fund in respect 66W of cases closed in the year in question were given. These did not include payments on account for cases still current.
£ million Solicitor Firms1 Freeth Cartwright Hunt and Dickens2 Over 8.50 Irwin Mitchell 2.60–3.49 Alexander Harris & Co.3 2.00–2.59 Fisher Meredith Nelsons Leigh Day & Co. McGrath & Co. Owen White 1.80–1.99 Joseph Hill & Co. Henry Hyams & Co. Hodge Jones & Allen Evill & Coleman T. V. Edwards The Johnson Partnership 1.60–1.79 Brendan Flemming Powell Spencer & Partners Jones Maidment Wilson Bindman & Partners The Smith Partnership Young & Lee 1 Includes payments for civil legal aid, criminal magistrates legal aid, and for advice and assistance 2 Includes payments for work done by other solicitor firms and counsel in multi-party actions which were administered by Freeth Cartwright Hunt and Dickens and which consequently do not appear in other firms' figures 3 The Department was unable to confirm the figures with the firm concerned The figures quoted are for cash payments made by the Legal Aid Board in 1996–97. They include profit costs, disbursement and other expenses necessarily incurred, VAT and new payments on account less old payments on account recouped. They do not take account of the amounts received or recovered by way of contributions, costs or damages awarded. It should be clearly understood that any payment to a solicitor in the year 1996–97 could well reflect payments for several years' work and should not be seen as a measurement of annual income.
It should also be noted that these figures have been calculated on a different basis from previous years where the total amounts paid from the Legal Aid Fund in respect of cases closed in the year in question were given. These did not include payments on account for cases still current.
For criminal legal aid in the higher courts it is not possible to provide information in the form requested. This is because the Department's central database records payments made to individual barristers and solicitor firms in respect of closed cases only; that is where the case has been disposed of and all bills, including those of other defence lawyers, have been determined. Set out below are the 20 barristers and solicitor firms recorded as having received the highest total payments in respect of criminal legal aid in the higher courts in cases recorded as closed in the financial year 1996–97. It should be clearly understood that any payment to an individual barrister or solicitor firm in the year 1996–97 could well reflect 67W payments received in other years but aggregated in the year 1996–97, because final payment was received. Therefore it is not a measurement of annual income.
£000 Barristers A. Jones Q.C. Over 500 M. Swift Q.C.1,2 P. Rook Q.C. 450–499 E. Lawson Q.C. S. Batten Q.C. A. Arlidge Q.C. M. Hill Q.C. R. Thwaithes Q.C. 400–119 A. Trollope Q.C. S. Stevens2 O. Blunt Q.C. 350–399 S. Leslie Q.C. W. Roddick Q.C. P. Feinberg Q.C. T. Raggatt Q.C. A. Berry Q.C. Miss C. Montgomery P. Doyle 329–349 P. Harrington Q.C. J. Richardson 1 This will include some payments previously published for 1995–96 2 The Department was unable to confirm the figures with the individual concerned
£million Solicitors Harkavys Over 2.00 Burton Copeland Garstangs 1.00–1.99 Offenbach & Co. 0.50–0.99 Irwin Mitchell Derek Attridge & Co. (Tottenham) Russell Cooke Potter & Chapman Jones Maidment Wilson Joseph Hill & Co. 0.40–0.49 Foinette Quin Trevor Cox Edward Fail Bradshaw & Waterson Derek Attridge & Co. (Bermondsey) Mackesys Maidments Fanshaw Porter & Hazlehurst 0.35–0.39 Powell Spencer & Partners J. Keith Park & Co. Stephenson Harwood R. M. Broudie & Co. The figures quoted above are the total amounts paid from legal aid in respect of cases closed in 1996–97. As such they may include payments relating to work done in earlier years, but do not include payments on account for cases still current. The figures are inclusive of VAT and disbursements and other expenses necessarily incurred. They do not take account of amounts received or recovered by way of contribution from assisted persons.