8 and 9. Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on what grounds, other than ability to pay, legal aid is under the regulations refused to defendants in proceedings before magistrates' courts;
184WFriend the Member for Bolton, East (Mr. Robert Howarth) on 24th October, 1968, the proposal to widen the scope of the existing provisions presents great difficulty. But I am considering representations from the Fire Brigades Union, the National Association of Fire Officers and the Association of Municipal Corporations arising from the distressing case in Bolton.