§ Mr. Marshall-AndrewsTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what was the cost to the Legal Aid Budget of cases brought by the Serious Fraud Office in each year since 1995–96; [78219]
(2) what proportion of the Legal Aid Budget was spent on cases prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office, broken down into (i) contested cases and (ii) pleas of guilty, in the last year for which figures are available. [78218]
§ Mr. HoonThe name of the prosecuting agency is not recorded on the Department's Legal Aid Management Information database. It is not possible therefore to provide the information requested. However, for fraud and fraud related trials of 25 days and over in duration, which will mainly comprise cases brought by the Serious Fraud Office, expenditure in each year was as follows:
£ Year Expenditure 1995–96 15,106,215 1996–97 17,297,813 1997–98 20,662,712 This expenditure is in respect of closed cases; that is where the case has been disposed of and all bills determined and will include expenditure incurred in previous years. It will not include interim payments made in respect of cases still current. It is not possible to estimate expenditure on guilty pleas and cases prepared for trial but which did not proceed to trial.