Treasury counsel is appointed by the Attorney-General. In the light of the increase in the complexity of cases prosecuted by Treasury counsel and the need to ensure that appointments are open and fair, I commissioned a review of the current Treasury counsel arrangements. The review team—comprising Dru Sharpling, the chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, London; Mohammed Aziz, commissioner at the Commission for Racial Equality; Philip Oliver, a non-executive director of the Crown Prosecution Service; and Richard Ferguson QC—has delivered a report to me that includes 23 recommendations, which I have accepted.

In the course of its work, the review team consulted widely, including members of the judiciary, Treasury counsel, the chairman of the Bar Council, and the Crown Prosecution Service and other barristers. Additionally, the CPS conducted, on behalf of the review team, an independent consultation exercise from an equalities perspective. I am placing a copy of the review team's report in the Library of the House.

The recommendations should ensure that Treasury counsel is appointed in accordance with open and fair competition rules that promote equality and diversity, while maintaining the high standards of service provided by it. Other important recommendations address new ways of monitoring the performance of Treasury counsel, which delivers a valuable service to the public.

The addendum to the report sets out proposals for the appointment of Treasury counsel outside London and an alternative approach for dealing with serious criminal cases that would not be conducted at the Central Criminal Court.