§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's policy when(a) conducting legal proceedings and (b) seeking legal advice as to the circumstances in which Queen's Counsel should be instructed; and for each of the last three years (i) on how many occasions his Department instructed Queen's Counsel and (ii) what was the total cost of instructing Queen's Counsel.[81754]
§ Mr. Robin CookI refer the hon. Member to the answer he received from my hon. and learned Friend the Solicitor-General on 26 April 1999,Official Report, column 1. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office conducts very few proceedings in the UK domestic courts. For proceedings in international tribunals, such as the International Court of Justice or the European Court of Human Rights, nominations of Counsel to represent the United Kingdom are always sought from the Attorney-General, bearing in mind the level of national importance of a particular issue and the legal expertise required.