Attorney General

The Attorney General’s Office has never seconded any staff from Palantir.

The Attorney General’s Office offers carers emergency leave for dependants with pay in accordance with the department’s special leave policy. Employees can take time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant or are able to request other leave, paid and unpaid, as well as annual and flexi leave as required to support them when they become a kinship carer. Employees are also able to request flexible working to support both short term and longer-term arrangements.

No. There are not any requirements for Attorney General's Office staff to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person.

The Government Legal Department (GLD) has staff based in five sites across the country; 102 Petty France, London; 1 Ruskin Square, Croydon; 7-8 Wellington Place, Leeds; 2 Rivergate, Bristol; and Three New Bailey, Manchester. GLD staff in each of these locations are expected to book a desk using the dedicated desk booking system; client-based legal teams follow local protocols.

HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate books desks for staff attending both their offices through systems run by the GLD for London and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (as the major occupier) for the York office.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has staff based in 37 sites across the country, a full list of which is annexed to this answer. CPS staff in each of these locations are expected to book a desk using the dedicated desk booking system; client-based legal teams follow local protocols.

Staff at the Serious Fraud Office are not required to book a desk in advance to attend the office.

I am aware of the terrible cases that have occurred in your constituency and these tragic cases are an example as to why we have committed to halving instances of knife crime in a decade as part of this Government’s Plan for Change.

Violent crime is too high, too many lives are still being lost to knives, and we too often see the consequences of these heinous crimes in the press. By banning zombie knives, tackling online sales via Ronan’s Law and working closely with community leaders, this Government has already taken robust action to tackle this issue.

We will continue to take action to reduce knife crime further. I am committed to the Crown Prosecution Service playing a full part in this critical work, and it requires a whole system effort.

This is an issue that is regularly discussed at Mission Boards and which I will continue discussing with Ministerial colleagues and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

By long-standing convention, the fact that the Attorney General may or may not have advised, and the content of his advice, is not disclosed outside government, as is reflected in the Ministerial Code.

As I set out to the House on 23 January and 6 February, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has an established and rigorous process for identifying and dealing with conflicts, and potential conflicts, that arise from the Law Officers’ past practice. That process predates the appointment of the Attorney General and sits against the backdrop of every lawyer’s professional obligation to be alert to, and actively manage, any situation that might give rise to a potential or actual conflict.

This rigorous process for identifying and managing conflicts sits alongside the system relating to ministerial interests, overseen by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Both the Director General of the AGO and the Independent Adviser were provided with the Attorney General’s list of conflicts following his appointment.

Following a three-year investigation, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) determined in January 2021 that this case did not meet the evidential test as defined in the Code for Crown Prosecutors and it was closed.

As is long-standing practice, the SFO can neither confirm nor deny if it is considering reopening the investigation into British American Tobacco Plc.

Pursuant to my answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 30615, the Attorney General’s meeting did not constitute part of formal negotiations. The Attorney General and his Mauritian counterpart discussed relations between our two countries; their respective responsibilities as two Attorneys General; and referenced the ongoing negotiations regarding the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Impartiality of legal advice is vitally important for all government lawyers. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has an established and rigorous process for identifying and dealing with conflicts, and potential conflicts, that arise from the Law Officers’ past practice. That process predates the appointment of the Attorney General and sits against the backdrop of every lawyer’s professional obligation to be alert to, and actively manage, any situation that might give rise to a potential or actual conflict, in order to ensure impartiality.

As with any policy area, policy questions should be directed to the responsible Government department.

Regarding legal advice, paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states: “By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention, and it applies to your question.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

The Government Legal Department is making limited use of generative AI (“Gen AI”) powered by large language models. Since December 2024, GLD has been running a trial of Microsoft’s M365 Copilot, which now has 100 participants and will shortly increase to 150. GLD’s AI Programme is considering where AI may be used and provide tangible benefits within specific work areas and processes, including proposed testing of online legal research tools with Gen AI-based capabilities.

Since July 2024, the Attorney General and his officials have had one meeting with a representative of the Government of Mauritius.

This was a courtesy meeting with Mr Gavin Glover, the visiting Attorney General of Mauritius, in January 2025.

The Bona Vacantia Division (“the Division”) of the Government Legal Department acts on behalf of the Treasury Solicitor (the Crown’s Nominee) to administer bona vacantia estates.

The Division currently has two unclaimed bona vacantia estates in the Bromsgrove constituency, neither of which involve the deceased owning property.

Current Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates are listed on the Division’s Unclaimed Estates List, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-listhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-list.

This Government is serious about tackling stalking, as part of our ambition to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.

For over seven years there have been yearly increases in the number of stalking offences which received a first hearing in the magistrates' courts. In 2018/19, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recorded 2,208 cases, and in 2023/24 these had more than doubled to 5,859.

In November 2024, the CPS and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan which prioritises improving the recognition and identification of behaviour driven offending including stalking. This applies to domestic and non-domestic forms of this crime.

Since publication, work has already commenced to develop a shared definition of high-harm, high-risk repeat offending and to update the police and CPS joint protocol on the appropriate handling of stalking offences. Informed by operational insights from police and stalking leads in the CPS, this work will ensure police and prosecutors are better equipped to recognise and handle stalking and identify the offenders who pose the greatest threat.

Protective orders are an important tool in safeguarding victims of stalking. On 22 January, the CPS updated its prosecution guidance on stalking or harassment emphasising that prosecutors must consider breaches of orders within the wider context of offending and, where new offences are present, that they are charged in addition to breaches. This Government has also committed to extend the reach of Stalking Protection Orders so they can be applied for on acquittal, as well as on conviction.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) remains committed to making the step changes required to create a more inclusive environment, enabling all staff, irrespective of background, to deliver high quality work at the Department.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in learning and development training is understood to refer to anything with the objective of improving EDI in the AGO, regardless of whether it is called EDI or not.

The AGO conducted a training course on bullying, discrimination and harassment in August 2024. Nine members of staff attended, and the cost of the course was £2,475.98. It referred to types of discrimination related to protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010 and employers’ responsibilities.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has spent £0 on external legal advice that covers international law matters commissioned from 5th July 2024.

However, the AGO has spent £7,028.40 for external legal advice covering international law matters that was sought and received by the previous administration prior to 5th July 2024.

I welcome the strong action already taken by the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor to bring down the outstanding caseload that this Government inherited, and measures introduced to help ensure victims have swift access to justice.

These actions include extending magistrates’ court sentencing powers to 12 months and funding additional Crown Court sitting days, taking them to the highest levels since financial year 2015/16 .

In the longer term,  the Lord Chancellor has commissioned an independent review of the criminal courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to consider the merits of wider reforms, as well as assessing the efficiency and timeliness of court processes.

These important issues have been discussed as part of our cross-government approach through the Safer Streets Mission Board.

This Government is committed to working with the police and other partners to address the blight of rural crime to ensure the safety of those in all communities.

We are introducing tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthening neighbourhood policing, and introducing robust laws to prevent farm theft and fly-tippers.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners, can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors work closely with local police officers and officers from the National Wildlife Crime Unit to tackle all types of rural crime.

The CPS provides legal guidance on Wildlife, Rural and Heritage Crime, which is available to all its prosecutors, to assist them in dealing with these cases. They also provide specialist training to ensure that its prosecutors have the expert knowledge needed to prosecute these crimes.

The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only. This funding will be allocated to departments in the usual way, in line with the approach taken under the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.

Hate crime is truly abhorrent and can have a devastating impact on victims and their communities.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) takes such offending very seriously.

The CPS works closely with the police to build robust cases and secure prosecutions for these offences.

Public relations activity is a subset of communication spend. As such, this data is not held. The Government Communication Service encourages the prioritisation of low and no cost public relations activities wherever possible.

It is recommended that all external communications support should be procured through approved government frameworks, with strict controls in place to ensure cost-effectiveness.

Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and it applies to your questions.

Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and it applies to your questions.

Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and it applies to your questions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is exploring new and existing technologies, including AI, to enhance efficiency. AI has the potential to support the CPS day-to-day in the delivery of justice. I am keen to explore the opportunities for efficiency that this new technology can bring, being mindful of ethical considerations.

A pilot of Microsoft Copilot concluded in August 2024, with approximately over 400 staff across the organisation given access to Copilot to assist them in everyday tasks such as summarising emails, creating PowerPoint presentations, and analysing excel data.

The scheme established that that Copilot reduced the amount of time it took staff to complete administrative and day-to-day tasks and has the capacity to save thousands of hours across the organisation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

During the past 12 months, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has been trialling the use of Technology Assisted Review (TAR), utilising AI, on a live criminal case. The trial demonstrated that TAR could help meet legal disclosure obligations more efficiently.

The trial adhered to relevant disclosure guidelines and officials are still making the decisions on what is in fact relevant and what is disclosed.

Following the success of the trial, the SFO is planning to use TAR in more SFO cases in the future.

The Attorney General’s Office and Law Officers’ Departments (the Crown Prosecution Service, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, Serious Fraud Office, and Government Legal Department) do not hold any contracts with BFS Group Limited or with subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited.

Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention, and it applies to your question.

As I set out to the House on Thursday 23 January, and the Attorney General repeated in the House of Lords on Monday 27 January, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has an established and rigorous process for identifying and dealing with conflicts, and potential conflicts, that arise from the Law Officers’ past practice. That process predates the appointment of the Attorney General and sits against the backdrop of every lawyer’s professional obligation to be alert to, and actively manage, any situation that might give rise to a potential or actual conflict.

This rigorous process for identifying and managing conflicts sits alongside the system relating to ministerial interests, overseen by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Both the Director General of the AGO and the Independent Adviser were provided with the Attorney General’s list of conflicts following his appointment.

The Attorney General’s Office does not offer its staff shared parental leave from their first working day. The Civil Service Management Code states that, ‘Departments and agencies may only grant shared parental leave in accordance with the statutory requirements governing eligibility for this category of leave’.

However, some staff could qualify for statutory shared parental leave on their first day of service with a particular department because they already have service with another department.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.

The Attorney General’s Office receives shared HR services from the Government Legal Department (GLD) and the criteria for applying for paternity leave is that the individual must have worked for GLD for at least 26 continuous weeks or immediately prior to the 15th week before the baby’s due date (where there is a pregnancy) and for adoption, either by the end of the week they are matched with the child (UK adoptions) or the date the child enters the UK or when they want their pay to start (overseas adoptions).

Some staff could qualify for statutory paternity leave on their first day of service with their department because they already have qualifying service with another Civil Service organisation.

Under the Employment Rights Bill currently before Parliament, subject to Parliamentary approval paternity leave will become a day one right across the Civil Service.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.

All dismissals are handled in line with current legislation and appropriate Codes of Practice. Where an employee feels they may have been unfairly dismissed, appropriate internal appeal routes may be instigated.

Where an employee is unable to solve a problem internally they may be able to go to an employment tribunal to claim unfair dismissal, as set out in legislation.

This position will be reviewed when unfair dismissal rights are updated in line with proposals in the Employment Rights Bill.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country

Ministers have not used AI in the Department in their roles as Law Officers.

A small number of officials within the Department have been piloting the use of a Microsoft 365 application ‘CoPilot’ which can be used to summarise content and meetings, assisting with drafting content and interrogating information. ChatGPT has also previously been used in this manner.

This Government has outlined its ambitions through the Plan for Change, which sets out an ambitious set of milestones - across the missions - for this Parliament.

As the House would expect, Government continually reviews its work to ensure that it is delivering the best outcomes for the people of the United Kingdom, and that its policies continue to represent the best value for the taxpayer.

Public reviews will be available on Gov.uk as they are published.

I am the Government’s chief legal adviser but, by long-standing convention, the fact that I, or a fellow Law Officer, may have advised or not advised, and the content of our advice, is not disclosed outside government, as is reflected in the Ministerial Code.

This is a long-standing policy observed by successive governments. It is also an important legal principle, as confirmed by the Bar Council, that “barristers do not choose their clients, nor do they associate themselves with their clients’ opinions or behaviour by virtue of representing them”.

Law Officers, by their experience and professional nature will sometimes have an extensive legal background and may have previously been involved in a wide number of past cases. That is why there is a robust system for considering and managing any conflicts that may arise, in line with the professional obligations of lawyers.

There is the established process on ministerial declarations, with previous employment and interests having been published for the public record. In general, there has always been an established rigorous system in place within the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that a Law Officer would not be consulted on any matter that could give rise to a potential conflict of interest. This system sits alongside the declaration of interest system overseen by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.

If a Law Officer publicly confirmed specific matters where they were recused, this would likely disclose that the other Law Officer was therefore giving advice or infer that legal advice had been requested by the Government on a specific matter, which would risk a breach of the Law Officers’ Convention. In addition, a lawyer cannot breach a client’s confidentiality in relation to advisory work that had previously not been made public so this would limit the ability of a Law Officer to publish in full their previous caseload and conflicts schedule. In that regard, I have been through the same process as previous Law Officers, none of which have gone as far to proactively disclose their specific conflicts of interest for the reasons set out above.

As I set out to the Justice Select Committee (15 January 2025), I confirmed that as a private barrister prior to my appointment as Attorney General, I represented Gerry Adams on an issue unconnected to the Legacy Act.

There are no ongoing industrial disputes within the Attorney General’s Office, Government Legal Department, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, Serious Fraud Office, or Crown Prosecution Service.

There has been no change in the Attorney General’s Office’s management of artwork or heritage assets since the previous administration.

As separate entities, the responsibility for creating policy and guidance for artwork sits with each individual Arm’s Length Body, rather than with the ministerial department.

The Government recognises the impact that crimes of theft have on all our communities, whether rural or urban, and we are committed to tackling the problem.

There is no specific legal definition of agricultural crime and therefore data on it cannot be collated. However, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds data on the number of prosecutions where the principal offence category was theft and handling stolen goods.

It is important to note that CPS principal offence category data is only extracted from the Case Management Information System once the prosecution case has been finalised, this means that the following offence data only relates to completed prosecutions and not any ongoing prosecutions.

From 2010 to date, the CPS has prosecuted 57,641 cases with a theft and handling stolen goods principal offence category originating from the West Yorkshire police force area. Of these, 52,286 resulted in a conviction and only 5,355 resulted in an acquittal.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice to Ukraine states: 'If you travel to Ukraine to fight, or to assist others engaged in the war, your activities may amount to offences under UK legislation. You could be prosecuted on your return to the UK'. Their full advice is available here: Ukraine travel advice - GOV.UK.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which acts independently of police and government, will consider any information that is referred by the police and any decision to prosecute will be considered on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

To date, the CPS has not prosecuted any cases involving UK-linked foreign fighters in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

This Government is committed to tackling fraud and supporting the victims of fraud.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The CPS is responsible for prosecuting fraud, among other criminal offences, which is primarily investigated by the police in England and Wales. The SFO investigates and prosecutes the most serious and complex fraud, bribery and corruption.

The CPS continues to implement its Economic Crime Strategy 2025 which includes ensuring victims and witnesses are at the heart of every case. In September 2021, the CPS developed guidance focused on prosecutors’ engagement with victims of fraud, improving the experience of victims through close work with investigators to have a joint victim and witness engagement strategy from the outset of a case.

More broadly, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is currently developing a new version of the Victims’ Code, which is a practical and useful guide for all victims of crime, including victims of fraud. The CPS and SFO are actively engaging with them on this. The CPS is also working closely with the MoJ to support the delivery of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.

The SFO has a dedicated Victim and Witness Care Unit which looks after the needs of victims in all its cases and delivers its obligations in line with the current Victims’ Code.

The SFO also provides bespoke information on relevant support services and makes referrals for ongoing support to local Police and Crime Commissioner commissioned victim services on behalf of victims. It also has a tailored needs assessment process which takes into account the length of time SFO investigations can take, and keeps victims updated via the SFO’s website and individually on the investigation, including on matters such as appeals and ongoing proceeds of crime recovery processes. A dedicated witness care officer will also attend court to be with witnesses for the duration of a trial.

In 2023-24, in the Surrey police force area, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted 487 cases flagged for domestic abuse and 41 cases flagged for rape.

The CPS uses thematic monitoring flags to track progress and performance surrounding certain types of cases within its case management system (CMS). "Flags " are identified and applied by lawyers and administrative staff. Monitoring flags currently exist within CMS for the following VAWG-related offences: rape; domestic abuse; so-called honour abuse / violence; forced marriage; and child abuse.

These figures for 2023-24 represent an increase from 434 and 30 in 2022-23, respectively.

The CPS has already produced a new operating model for the prosecution of rape based on robust evidence from Operation Soteria and launched the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan with policing in November 2024. The early results of improvements in partnership working with policing under the plan have already led to modest initial increases in domestic abuse referrals, setting a strong foundation for future improvements.

In September 2024, the CPS prosecuted the third conviction for female genital mutilation (FGM) and the first conviction of conspiring to commit FGM in England and Wales. This marks a significant milestone and demonstrates the growing effectiveness of prosecuting these cases.

However, more can be done to increase prosecution rates for VAWG, in Surrey and across the country. This Government’s ambition is to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, as part of our Safer Streets Mission, and delivering effective prosecutions is a key part of this.

To address the increasing complexity of VAWG offending, and holistic needs of victims, the CPS is producing a new VAWG strategy which will be published in spring 2025.

As per the former Solicitor General’s (Sarah Sackman KC MP) answer of 31 October to Question 9604, following the dissolution of the last Parliament on 30 May 2024 and before the General Election on 4 July 2024, officials in the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) arranged for the two ministerial offices to be modestly refurbished. The costs are set out in that answer.

No other refurbishment has taken place between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024.

Details of ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.

From 1 October 2023 to 30 June 2024 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised charges in respect of 104,696 suspects for all criminal offences. Of these charges, the CPS is unable to identify which offences involved defendants who were taking part in a protest without a manual review of each case which would incur disproportionate cost.

The CPS publishes quarterly bulletins of data tables and summaries of main trends as part of its ongoing commitment to transparency on prosecution performance. This information can be found here: CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service.

From 1 October 2023 to 30 June 2024 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised charges in respect of 104,696 suspects for all criminal offences. Of these charges, the CPS is unable to identify which offences involved defendants who were taking part in a protest without a manual review of each case which would incur disproportionate cost.

The CPS publishes quarterly bulletins of data tables and summaries of main trends as part of its ongoing commitment to transparency on prosecution performance. This information can be found here: CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service.