§ Mr. Oakesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total number of cases dealt with in the Liverpool and Manchester Crown Courts; and in how many of these cases the defendants were legally aided in each of the years 1965, 1966 and 1967;
(2) what was the total number of cases dealt with in courts of quarter sessions in England and Wales; and in how many of these cases the defendants were legally aided in each of the years 1965, 1966 and 1967.
§ Mr. Elystan MorganSeparate figures relating to legal aid for proceedings in the Crown Courts and in courts of 115W quarter sessions are not readily available and could be extracted only with a disproportionate expenditure of time and
LEGAL AID IN SUPERIOR COURTS 1965 1966 1967 Persons tried or sentenced by higher courts: (a) Tried at Crown Courts 2,261 2,184 2,318 (b) Tried at quarter sessions 19,067 20,521 21,511 (c) Tried at Assizes and the Central Criminal Court 5,536 6,133 6,436 (d) Committed from magistrates' courts to Crown Courts or quarter sessions for sentence 8,536 10,275 10,642 (e) Total 35,400 39,113 40,907 Number of persons granted legal aid for trials on indictment and proceedings relating to sentence 20,492 23,998 28,774 Appeals to quarter sessions (including Crown Courts): Number of appellants 5,966 6,925 8,537 Number of appellants granted legal aid 2,324 2,942 3,891
§ Mr. Oakesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of criminal cases dealt with in England and Wales in Courts of Petty Sessions; and in how many of these
1965 1966 1967 1. Summary proceedings: (a) Persons dealt with … … … … 1,396,564 1,473,629 1,611.865 (b) Persons granted legal aid … … … … 17,496 21,762 30,837 2. Preliminary hearings of indictable offences: (a) Persons dealt with … … … … 30,694 33,155 34,439 (b) Persons granted legal aid … … … … 7,562 8,645 11,903
§ Mrs. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost to public funds of the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme in England for each year since its inception; and, in each year, what is the total sum paid in legal fees.
§ Mr. Eiystan MorganSince 14th March, 1960, when legal aid in criminal proceedings in England and Wales first became a charge on central Government funds, the expenditure on legal fees and disbursements has been as follows:
£ 1960–61 … … 496,823 1961–62 … … 929,256 1962–63 … … 1,383,687 1963–64 … … 1,523,953 1964–65 … … 1,924,437 1965–66 … … 2,282,119 1966–67 … … 2,664,388 1967–68 … … 3,428,403 No figures are available for the cost of administering the scheme.