asked the Attorney-General what salary scale and conditions the Director of Public Prosecutions intends to offer solicitors and banisters taking up posts in the Crown prosecution service (a) in London and (b) elsewhere in England and Wales, following enactment of the Prosecution of Offenders Act 1985; and what information he has as to how these compare with the average remuneration available to solicitors and banisters engaged in private work.

The posts of banisters and solicitors employed in a professional capacity in the Crown prosecution service will be graded at one of the following levels:

• Crown prosecutor
• Senior crown prosecutor
• Grade 6
• Grade 5
• Grade 4
• Grade 3
• Grade 2
• Grade 1

Subject to pay protection arrangements which it is intended to include in regulations to be made under section 11 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 in relation to staff transferring from other authorities, the salary scales of such persons will be those applicable to their grade. All the above grades except Crown prosecutor and senior Crown prosecutor are of general application within the Civil Service. The grades of senior Crown prosecutor and Crown prosecutor will be special to the new service. The Director of Public Prosecutions has proposed that the former should correspond with that of principal in the Civil Service and that there should be a salary scale for the latter of £9,700–£14,000. I am at present considering representations from staff representatives on this issue. Staff employed in London will receive a London weighting allowance appropriate to the location of their office. Conditions of service will be those applicable to the Civil Service generally subject to such reserved rights as may be appropriate in relation to staff transferring from other authorities. These are at present the subject of discussions between officials of the Director of Public Prosecutions and representatives of the relevant unions.The average remuneration of solicitors and banisters in private practice is not known centrally.