Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what discussions she had with Cabinet colleagues on the award a legal services contract to Peters and Peters in relation to the Privileges Committee investigation into the Rt Hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
The Cabinet Office awarded a legal services contract to Peters and Peters after following the established process for such a contract. As the Honourable Member knows, by convention, whether the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice, and the contents of any such advice, is not disclosed outside of Government.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what the average rate per hour of government-funded external legal advice was in the last 12 months.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
The average rate per hour of government funded work using the Attorney General’s Civil Panels is £110.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, whether Peters & Peters is on the Legal Services Panel.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
No, Peters & Peters is not on the Panel. Where a Department cannot find the legal services they need through the Panel, there is an established process. Details are set out on the Crown Commercial Service website. |
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, whether Lord Pannick KC is on the list of King’s Counsel maintained by the Government Legal Department who have expressed an interest in receiving instructions.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
Yes.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to improve the system of evidence disclosure in criminal justice cases.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
Towards the end of last year I launched a review of disclosure procedures in the criminal justice system. This followed a comprehensive joint inspection of disclosure in volume Crown Court cases by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which concluded earlier in 2017, and the recommendations of the project to review our response to economic crime commissioned by the Prime Minister.
The scope of my review is wide, covering cases in the Magistrates’ Courts as well as more complex Crown Court cases and specialist types of cases, including economic crime and sexual offences. The review will examine existing Codes of Practice, Protocols, Guidelines and legislation as well as case management initiatives and capabilities across the criminal justice system, including how digital technology is used.
Alongside the review, on 26 January 2018 the Crown Prosecution Service and National Police Chiefs’ Council published their joint National Disclosure Improvement Plan, a package of measures to improve how the criminal justice system deals with disclosure. This joint plan sets out what they have already done to improve the disclosure process and the further steps they will take. The Government will continue to monitor progress, to ensure that the police and Crown Prosecution Service deliver on the actions they have committed to undertake.