HC Deb 27 April 1999 vol 330 c123W
Mr. Dismore

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. [81785]

Ms Hewitt

In determining the level of counsel to use either for legal proceedings or when seeking legal advice, the Treasury will consider the individual circumstances of each case. They will take into account,inter alia, the importance and sensitivity of the case, the complexity of the law, the weight and complexity of the evidence, and the degree of experience and expertise required before deciding whether to instruct Queen's Counsel or junior counsel.

The Treasury has instructed Queen's Counsel on four occasions in the last three years—twice in 1996–1997, once in 1997–1998 and once in 1998–1999. The total costs in the first three cases were £6,100; no fee note has yet been received in the latest case.