§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Solicitor-General how many applications have been made to him in each of the last three years for his fiat; in respect of what proceedings such applications were made; and in how many and in what percentage of such cases in each category he(a) granted and (b) withheld his consent. [107831]
The Solicitor-GeneralThe information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. Statistics are not maintained. It is estimated that the information is contained in many different files, catalogued in a number of different series. For example, in criminal cases, consents to prosecution cover a wide range of criminal offences. There are also fiats which relate to civil proceedings. The work involved in providing an accurate answer would breach the established limits for the amount of work that should be undertaken in answering parliamentary questions.