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Was it Hugh Barrett who created the last 2 contracts in which every firm's route to growth for over 10 years has been to game said contract by paying £750 to £1500 pm to buy rota slots from "do nothing" ghosts rather than innovating, adopting digitisation and growing their customer base through quality of service.

In the last 10 years something approaching £2/3 billion has been paid to ghost duty solicitors for their rota slots, without them having to do any work. £750 - £1,500 per month each. Its crazy.

Simply varying a couple of straightforward contract terms to get rid of the ghosts and limit rota slots to the local court and it's police stations, would have firms acting like normal businesses.

How much has been wasted on tendering rather than varying a couple of terms.

Last week I met a ghost getting £1500 pm for their slots. Thats 75% of my pm take home for working full time. If I became a ghost I could earn the other £500 freelancing at police stations and MC for 2 days a month. I'd be able to top up my income with a full time job.

Seriously, The competence of the executives at the MoJ is laughable. But more worrying is the failure of the LS and LCCSA to get across to Mr Gove the above.