Guidance

Crown Proceedings Act 1947

Updated 20 February 2025

List of Authorised Government Departments and the names and addresses for service of the person who is, or is acting for the purposes of the Act as, Solicitor for such Departments, published by the Minister for the Civil Service in pursuance of Section 17 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947.

This list supersedes the list published on 18 March 2021

AUTHORISED GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS	SOLICITOR AND ADDRESS FOR SERVICE
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (see Note (3))	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Cabinet Office	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Commissioners for the Reduction of National Debt (see Note (4))	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Crown Prosecution Service	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Department for Business and Trade	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Department for Culture, Media and Sport	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Department for Education	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Department for Transport	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Department for Work and Pensions	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Department of Health and Social Care	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Exports Credit Guarantee Department (UK Export Finance)	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Government Actuary’s Department	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Health and Safety Executive (see Note (5))	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
His Majesty’s Treasury	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Home Office	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Ministry of Defence	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Ministry of Justice	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
National Savings and Investments (NS&I)	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Northern Ireland Office	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Office for Budget Responsibility (see Note (6))	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (Wales Office)	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Privy Council Office (see Note (7))	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Public Works Loan Board (see Note (4))	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Serious Fraud Office	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Statistics Board (UK Statistics Authority)	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
The National Archives	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Privy Council Office (see Note (7))	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Public Works Loan Board (see Note (4))	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Serious Fraud Office	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
Statistics Board (UK Statistics Authority)	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))
The National Archives	The Treasury Solicitor Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, Westminster, London SW1H 9GL (see Notes (1) and (2))

AUTHORISED GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS	SOLICITOR AND ADDRESS FOR SERVICE
Competition and Markets Authority	Senior Litigation Director Competition and Markets Authority 25 Cabot Square Canary Wharf London E14 4QZ
Food Standards Agency	Head of Legal Services Food Standards Agency Floors 6 and 7 Clive House 70 Petty France London SW1H 9EX
Forestry Commission	Director of Estates and Legal Forestry Commission 620 Bristol Business Park Coldharbour Lane Bristol GL16 1EJ
Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (Ofgem)	General Counsel Office of Gas and Electricity Markets The Office of General Counsel 10 South Colonnade Canary Wharf London E14 4PU
His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs	General Counsel and Solicitor to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs HM Revenue and Customs 14 Westfield Avenue Stratford London E20 1HZ
National Crime Agency	Legal Adviser National Crime Agency Units 1-6 Citadel Place Tinworth Street London SE11 5EF
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted)	Deputy Director, Legal Services Ofsted Clive House 70 Petty France Westminster London SW1H 9EX
Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual)	Legal Director Ofqual Earlsdon Park 53-55 Butts Road Coventry CV1 3BH
Office of Rail and Road (ORR)	General Counsel Office of Rail and Road 25 Cabot Square Canary Wharf London E14 4QZ
Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat)	General Counsel Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) Centre City Tower 7 Hill Street Birmingham B5 4UA
Welsh Government	The Director of Legal Services to the Welsh Government Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ
Welsh Revenue Authority	Head of Legal Welsh Revenue Authority Welsh Government Offices Rhydycar Business Park Merthyr Tydfil CF48 1UZ

NOTES

(1) Section 17(3) and section 18 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947 provide as follows:

17(3) Civil proceedings against the Crown shall be instituted against the appropriate authorised Government department, or, if none of the authorised Government departments is appropriate or the person instituting the proceedings has any reasonable doubt whether any and if so which of those departments is appropriate, against the Attorney General.

18   All documents required to be served on the Crown for the purpose of or in connection with any civil proceedings by or against the Crown shall, if those proceedings are by or against an authorised Government department, be served on the solicitor, if any, for that department, or the person, if any, acting for the purposes of this Act as solicitor for that department, or if there is no such solicitor and no person so acting, or if the proceedings are brought by or against the Attorney General, on the Solicitor for the affairs of His Majesty’s Treasury.

Proceedings brought against the Attorney General should be served on the Treasury Solicitor.

(2) The above-mentioned provisions do not apply to Scotland, where in accordance with the Crown Suits (Scotland) Act 1857, as amended by the Scotland Act 1998, civil proceedings against the Scottish Government may be directed against the Scottish Ministers or against the Lord Advocate for and on behalf of the Scottish Government and the address for service is the Office of the Solicitor to the Scottish Government, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. Civil proceedings against any other office holder in the Scottish Administration or body which is part of the Scottish Administration may be directed against the Lord Advocate or the relevant body or office holder in the Scottish Administration. Civil proceedings against the Crown (other than the Scottish Administration) or any Government Department (other than the Scottish Government) may be directed against the Advocate General for Scotland. The Advocate General’s address for service is the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland, Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh EH8 8FT.

(3) Under section 247 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, the Crown Proceedings Act 1947 applies to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service as if it were a Government department for the purposes of civil proceedings arising out of its statutory functions and the Crown Suits (Scotland) Act 1857 applies to it as if it were a public department within the meaning of that Act.

(4)The functions of the Commissioners for the Reduction of National Debt and the Public Works Loan Board are carried out within the UK Debt Management Office.

(5) Under section 10 of Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Crown Proceedings Act 1947 applies to the Health and Safety Executive as if it were a Government department for the purposes of civil proceedings arising out of its functions in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. Section 10 also provides that in Scotland the Crown Suits (Scotland) Act 1857 shall apply to the Executive as if it were a public department within the meaning of that Act, with the effect that civil proceedings against it may be directed against the Advocate General for Scotland as explained above.

(6) Under paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011, the Crown Proceedings Act 1947 applies to the Office for Budget Responsibility as if it were a Government department for the purposes of civil proceedings arising out of its functions. Paragraph 7 also provides that the Crown Suits (Scotland) Act 1857 applies to it as if it were a public department within the meaning of that Act.

(7) The Privy Council Office supports the Privy Council and the Lord President of the Council in exercising their functions as an advisory council of state, independent of government, which can be the subject of civil proceedings.

CABINET OFFICE
WHITEHALL
LONDON
SW1A 2AS

SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE MINISTER FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE

ALEX BURGHART PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR THE CABINET OFFICE

11/12/2023