asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual civil servants are represented by counsel at public cost in the Tribunal on the Crown Agents; how many are jointly represented and how many individually; and what is the total number of barristers retained at public expense on the hearing.
Thirty-five civil servants are represented at public expense; of these 34 are jointly represented and one is represented individually. The total number of barristers-at-law retained at public expense in connection with the several stages of the inquiry is 35 of whom five represent civil servants.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has so far been expended from public funds in respect of the Tribunal on the Crown Agents; and what is the best estimate he can make of the likely final total cost.
About £1·09 million so far, of which £0·428 million represents the costs of legal representation. There are, however, accrued liabilities for further substantial amounts the bills for which have not been presented for payment. We cannot, at this stage of the inquiry, give any reliable estimate of the final total cost.