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<p>The amounts spent by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Crown Prosecution Service
(CPS) on external lawyers in each of the last four financial years is shown in the
following table. Both organisations financial reporting systems are configured to
provide information based on financial rather than calendar years.</p><table><tbody><tr><td
colspan="3"><p><strong>Expenditure on external lawyers</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>CPS</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>SFO</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>£139,219,000</p></td><td><p>£4,523,561</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>£115,329,000</p></td><td><p>£4,822,253</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>£118,908,000</p></td><td><p>£5,956,633</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>£122,929,000</p></td><td><p>£19,077,467</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The
SFO figures include the cost of external counsel, TSol and other legal fees, but do
not include temporary agency staff. The SFO spend on counsel fees is published in
its annual report. The increased figures for 2012-13 and 2013-14 reflect the revised
treatment of VAT on some fees, repayment of some VAT which had been incorrectly recovered
in earlier years, and costs relating to some very large cases and other litigation.</p><p>The
SFO's requirement for additional expenditure in 2013-14 has already been set out to
the House in documentation published around its Spring Supplementary Estimate, which
has been scrutinised by the Justice Select Committee. The nature of the SFO's work
means that it can occasionally incur significant additional legal expenses for its
very largest and mostcomplex investigations and prosecutions, such as that into Libor.</p><p>The
CPS figures are drawn from the CPS's core financial accounting system and they are
consistent with the CPS's audited accounts. The great majority of fees for legal work
paid by the CPS relates to the services of self-employed barristers and solicitors
for crown court casework. The CPS also engages barristers and solicitors to undertake
advocacy as agents in magistrates' courts sessions and, occasionally, to provide legal
advice on discrete areas of specialist policy.</p><p> </p>
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