§ Mr. BOWERMANasked the Home Secretary, in view of the fact that, out of a total of 934,699 persons who were summarily convicted in 1916-17, only 393 appealed to Sessions, where if they fail they are liable to pay the heavy costs of both sides and if successful pay their own costs, while out of only 8,306 persons convicted after being more carefully tried by jury no fewer than 303 appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeal, where there are no such risks as to costs, whether he will state how many unsuccessful appellants in 1917 were required by the Courts to pay the costs of the other side, with the total amount paid, and how many successful appellants were allowed their costs, with the total amount allowed them, or, if the numbers and amounts for one year would involve too great an expenditure of labour, will he give them for a half-year?
§ Mr. SHORTTIn appeals to Quarter Sessions it is, I believe, a general practice that the unsuccessful party should be ordered to pay the costs of the other side, but no particulars of these appeals are furnished to the Home Office, and I should not feel justified in asking the several Courts to make out returns on the subject.