The Lord Chancellor's and Law Officers' Departmental Report 1998-1999

The post of Treasury Solicitor was formally established in 1661. A permanent staff was established in 1806, at which time funds were allocated to the Treasury Solicitor's Department through a separate Vote. The Department's role was widened by the Treasury Solicitor Act 1876, which made the Treasury Solicitor a corporation sole. The Department was launched as an Executive Agency from 1 April 1996, retaining the name Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSD). The Property Division was launched as an Executive Agency on 1 April 1993 and is known as The Government Property Lawyers (GPL).

The bulk of the Department's activity now takes place in the two Agencies which are described at paragraphs 4 to 10 below. The Treasury Solicitor is also Head of the Government Legal Service and is supported in this role by the Lawyers' Management Unit (LMU), which was incorporated into the Agency on 1 April 1997. Ministerial oversight of the Department and its Agencies rests with the Attorney General who is supported by the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers (LSLO), described at paragraphs 11 and 12.

The costs of the two Agencies (TSD and GPL) are met by funds Voted by Parliament (Class VIII, Vote 6) and income from charges to client departments which are Appropriated in Aid of the Vote. The costs of LSLO also fall on this Vote.

Further information

Further information on the work of the Treasury Solicitor's Department and copies of the Annual Report may be obtained from: