§ Mr. StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of legal aid applications in Scotland in(a) civil and (b) criminal cases are currently decided within six weeks. [6102]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonIn 1995–96, the percentage of civil legal aid applications which were decided within six weeks was 89 per cent. The equivalent figure for criminal legal aid applications was 100 per cent.
§ Mr. StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the report made to him by the Scottish Legal Aid Board following visits in 1995 to the USA and Canada in connection with the proposals contained in part V of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Bill; [6130]
(2) how many members and staff of the Scottish Legal Aid Board visited the USA and Canada in (a) 1994–95 and (b) 1995–96; and what was the cost of these visits. [6131]
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§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonNo members of staff of the Scottish Legal Aid Board paid official visits to the USA and Canada in 1994–95 or 1995–96. One member of the board's senior staff holidayed in Canada in 1994–95 and took the opportunity of visiting the Public Defender's Office in Manitoba. The cost of this visit was met personally by the individual concerned. Although outwith the specified dates, in June 1996, a member of staff attended an international audit conference and took the opportunity to visit the Los Angeles county public defender. The cost of attending the conference was £1,720.
No report of either visit has been sent to me.
§ Mr. StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the advantages of applying the provisions of part V of the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Bill to advocates; and if he will make a statement. [6121]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonAs we estimate that only 6 per cent. of expenditure on criminal legal assistance involves advocates. It is not proposed to extend part V to them.