| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | NOTICEABLE | |
| Obvious illicit drug taken by VIP (10) | ICE inside NOTABLE | |
| 6 | SPEC | |
| Small muscle’s detailed description (4) | S + PEC | |
| 10 | UMBER | |
| Deep brown wood, trimmed at one end (5) | (l)UMBER | |
| 11 | PERCOLATE | |
| Make coffee late after agent returned with company (9) | LATE after (REP reversed + CO) | |
| 12 | ABSEILER | |
| Able seaman with another heard one climbing down? (8) | AB + sounds like SAILOR | |
| 13 | ACCOST | |
| Act reduced expenditure to work as a solicitor (6) | AC(t) + COST | |
| 15 | LOCATE | |
| Track down members of bloc at embassy (6) | bLOC AT Embassy | |
| 16 | ONE-STAR | |
| Comfortable accommodation secured by rower is poorly rated (3-4) | NEST inside OAR | |
| 18 | NAB | |
| Get hold of bank (3) | Double Definition | |
| 19 | STARVED | |
| Extremely hungry principal opposing representative of education (7) | STAR + V + ED | |
| 21 | UNEASE | |
| Doubt members of commune – a sect (6) | commUNE A SEct | |
| 24 | ACCORD | |
| A conductor primarily joined up to lead concert (6) | A + (C)onductor + CORD | |
| 25 | PINAFORE | |
| Sort of apron if extended at the front? (8) | Anagram of APRON IF + (E)xtended | |
| 27 | STIPULATE | |
| Lay down fresh tulips at back of gravestone (9) | Anagram of TULIPS + AT + graveston(E) | |
| 28 | COAST | |
| Sail cover snagged on pole (5) | COAT outside S | |
| 29 | NEED | |
| Listened to work’s requirement (4) | Sounds like KNEAD | |
| 30 | CENSORSHIP | |
| Leading member of college distributed porn – is she withholding material? (10) | (C)ollege + anagram of PORN IS SHE | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | NOUGAT | |
| Sweet not containing large centre of sugar (6) | NOT outside s(UGA)r | |
| 2 | TABASCO | |
| Bill company stocking, for instance, hot stuff (7) | (TAB + CO) outside AS | |
| 3 | CARDINAL VIRTUE | |
| Lucid narrative loosely presented a chief moral quality (8,6) | Anagram of LUCID NARRATIVE | |
| 4 | APPREHENDS | |
| Picks up recycled paper with hard edges (10) | Anagram of PAPER + H + ENDS | |
| 5 | LORD | |
| Peer’s share pinched by earl or duke (4) | earL OR Duke | |
| 7 | PLAY OUT | |
| Continue to sulk about position (4,3) | POUT outside LAY | |
| 8 | CREATORS | |
| A rector’s converted innovative people (8) | Anagram of A RECTORS | |
| 9 | CONCRETE CANCER | |
| Head of construction reviewed a concern about Greek island’s structural problem? (8,6) | (C)onstruction + (anagram of A CONCERN outside CRETE) | |
| 14 | DO BUSINESS | |
| Deal with distribution of bond issues (2,8) | Anagram of BOND ISSUES | |
| 17 | ASSASSIN | |
| Fool twice elected – bravo! (8) | ASS + ASS + IN | |
| 20 | ARCHIVE | |
| A church, swamped by river, mostly saved historic documents (7) | A + [CH inside (RIVE)r] | |
| 22 | STOMACH | |
| School providing refuge for cat and a bear (7) | SCH outside (TOM +A) | |
| 23 | BELT UP | |
| Stop talking and get ready to drive (4,2) | Double Definition | |
| 26 | FARE | |
| Cost of transport is reasonable by the sound of it (4) | Sounds like FAIR |
