§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Solicitor-General what the total cost to her Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years. [34174]
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe total cost to my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, of accountancy services in each of the last four year has been nil. In relation to the other Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible, the details are as follows:
Crown Prosecution Service
The total cost to the Crown Prosecution Service of accountancy services, in each of the last four years has been as follows:
- £29,000 in 1997–98
- £21,000 in 1998–99
- £23,000 in 1999–2000
- £108,000 in 2000–01
"Accountancy services" is taken to denote services provided by an external firm of accountants or their management consultancy arms if the assignment if connected with financial matters.
The CPS also uses accountants as expert witnesses in criminal prosecutions. Expenditure over the last four years in this respect has been as follows:
- £46,000 in 1997–98
- £75,000 in 1998–99
- £52,000 in 1999–2000
- £101,000 in 2000–01
Treasury Solicitor's Department
The Treasury Solicitor's Department has an in-house Finance Team which has responsibility for the expenditure, billing activity and accounting for the Treasury Solicitor's Department Agency, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, residual matters from the closure in September 1999 of the Government Property Lawyer's Agency and, since 1 April 2001, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. The team has required additional accounting resources during the last few years to deal with the introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting; the associated replacement of the accounting computer system; and a substantial increase in the business of the Treasury Solicitor's Department Agency.
The total costs of the Treasury Solicitor's Department's Finance Team for the last four years are as follows:
- £546,000 in 1997–98
- £645,000 in 1998–99
- £877,000 in 1999–2000
- £1,262,000 in 2000–01
- £726,000 in 2001–02 (up to 31 December 2001).
These figures include direct staff, agency temporary staff and independent consultants' costs, a new computer system and other direct costs incurred by the Treasury Solicitor's Department Agency.
661WSerious Fraud Office
The Serious Fraud Office has only incurred accounting costs over the last four years by the use of specific accountancy expertise to support case investigation. There have been no administrative accountancy services other than external/internal audit by the National Audit Office and Inland Revenue respectively.
The total costs incurred for accountancy work to support cases have been as follows:
- £1,445,472.14 in 1997–98
- £1,477,816.95 in 1998–99
- £872,523.95 in 1999–2000
- £1,207,917.93 in 2000–01
- £1,482,945.64 in 2001–02 (to date).