HC Deb 13 July 1998 vol 316 c43W
Mr. Kidney

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the total cost to his Department of(a) considering and (b) processing successful applications for silk in 1998. [49267]

Mr. Hoon

The departmental expenditure apportionable to the procedure for considering applications for Queen's Counsel in 1998 is estimated to be £117,236. This comprises £65,975 for direct staff costs and £51,261 for indirect costs, such as a share of the costs of common services. The cost of processing successful applications (that is, the cost of granting silk to successful applicants) in 1998 was approximately £9,000, which was recovered through a fee paid by new Queen's Counsel.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what fee his Department would have needed to charge each applicant in 1998 to cover the cost of processing applications for silk. [49268]

Mr. Hoon

The Department would have needed to charge applicants a fee of £230 to enable the estimated departmental expenditure apportionable to the procedure for considering applicants for Queen's Counsel in 1998 to be fully recovered. The cost of granting silk to successful applicants is covered by the fee of £150 payable by new Queen's Counsel.