§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the Legal Aid Fund of civil court fees in the next financial year; [77344]
(2) what is the estimated cost to the Legal Aid Fund of civil court fees in (a) the current and (b) each of the last three financial years. [77345]
§ Mr. HoonAs I told my hon. Friend on 8 February 1999,Official Report, column 14, the Legal Aid board does not record separately the amounts paid from the Legal Aid Fund in respect of civil court fees; court 121W fees are recorded under the general heading of 'disbursements'. Therefore no reliable estimate of the cost to legal aid of civil court fees is possible.