§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost to his Department of the defence of the British soldiers convicted of causing the death of a Danish tour guide in Cyprus. [63343]
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§ Mr. Doug HendersonThe costs of the defence and subsequent appeal of the soldiers convicted of causing the death of the Danish tour guide were met by the Army Legal Aid scheme, and have been £260K to date. This figure does not include the cost of the appeals process which has only recently concluded.
The Army Legal Aid scheme provides legal assistance to Army personnel similar to that available in this country to ensure that they are not placed at a disadvantage when tried overseas in a civil criminal court; the scheme is funded by my Department.