HC Deb 05 August 1971 vol 822 cc376-83W
Mr. Alan Williams

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of applications for legal aid for summary proceedings, for committal proceedings and for committals for trial were refused in each county and each borough in England and Wales in 1969, in 1970 and, to the latest available date, in 1971.

Mr. Carlisle

The available information relates to counties, county boroughs and London commission areas, and excludes juvenile cases. Figures for 1969 and 1970 are given below; those for 1971 are not yet available.

Summary proceedings Committal proceedings For trial on indictment
Area Percentage of applications refused in 1969 Percentage of applications refused in 1970 Percentage of applications refused in 1969 Percentage of applications refused in 1970 Percentage of applications refused in 1969 Percentage of applications refused in 1970
North East London Area 38.5 31.1 1.3 5.5 0.9 1.7
South East London Area 18.4 10.6 1.8 1.1 0.5 0.2
South West London Area 12.9 11.4 1.7 3.7
Middlesex Area 44.4 38.2 14.0 6.8 2.9 2.2
Monmouthshire 14.1 12.5 2.1 0.6
Norfolk 8.9 6.3 2.8 1.9 1.2 0.6
Northamptonshire 3.5 11.5 0.6 5.0 0.8
Northumberland 2.1 1.6 0.7
Nottinghamshire 6.7 7.8 0.4 0.8 0.3
Oxfordshire 4.7 9.1 0.8
Rutland 5.0
Shropshire 10.7 9.6 1.7
Somerset 7.6 6.5 1.4 0.7
Staffordshire 4.7 12.7 2.3 6.6 0.3
Suffolk, East 18.7 9.9 0.9
Suffolk, West 4.2 6.0
Surrey 14.8 19.4 3.1 2.7 0.6 2.2
Sussex, East 15.2 15.5 2.1 0.8
Sussex, West 16.8 14.4 0.9 0.8 0.4
Warwickshire 15.9 14.9 2.4 2.1 0.4 0.7
Westmorland 2.3 6.8 5.3
Wiltshire 17.4 13.8 4.2 2.2 1.8 0.4
Worcestershire 11.5 8.4 1.9 5.2
Yorkshire—
East Riding 15.0 9.3 1.3 1.2
North Riding 3.7 17.5 3.5 1.7
West Riding 15.4 13.6 1.5 0.9 1.6 0.3
Anglesey 1.7 12.4 3.7 3.1 5.7
Breconshire 2.5 1.6 4.3
Caernarvonshire 6.3 6.0
Cardiganshire 1.8
Carmarthenshire 13.4 10.2 1.9 1.4 1.5
Denbighshire 0.3 2.6 5.8
Flintshire 2.3 5.4 1.9
Glamorgan 13.9 6.8 2.3 0.6 0.2 0.2
Merionethshire 4.0
Montgomeryshire 2.7
Pembrokeshire 0.8 6.3 2.3 2.3
Radnorshire
BOROUGHS
Luton 2.7 1.4
Reading 7.1 6.4
Birkenhead 48.5 34.4 41.5 33.3 7.5 11.5
Chester 28.7 20.3 7.4 2.4 1.4
Stockport 5.9 6.4 1.1
Wallasey 7.2 9.1
Newport 3.3 9.7 0.4
Great Yarmouth 9.9 3.1
Norwich 17.8 12.6 2.9 2.4
Northampton 1.8 8.1
Newcastle-upon-Tyne 52.0 42.4 0.6 2.1 1.0 0.3
Tynemouth 26.6 10.9 2.6
Nottingham 11.2 8.2 2.1
Oxford 53.1 31.4 12.3 2.6 0.9 0.6
Bath 37.2 28.5
Burton-upon-Trent 8.8 7.1 2.1
Stoke-on-Trent 0.5 0.8
Walsall 5.0 9.0 1.3 0.6
Warley 28.8 17.8 0.9 1.0 0.8 1.2
West Bromwich 8.9 9.3 3.8 2.3
Wolverhampton 1.7 4.7 0.3
Ipswich 3.6 7.7
Brighton 16.4 16.9 1.4
Summary proceedings Committal proceedings For trial on indictment
Area Percentage of applications refused in 1969 Percentage of applications refused in 1970 Percentage of applications refused in 1969 Percentage of applications refused in 1970 Percentage of applications refused in 1969 Percentage of applications refused in 1970
Eastbourne 1.7 5.5
Hastings 54.4 59.0
Birmingham 60.5 56.7 0.8 0.4
Coventry 2.9 5.6
Solihull 27.3 18.6
Dudley 32.9 24.8 7.4 9.2 3.1 4.5
Worcester 26.7 44.3 3.6 5.3 1.2 8.7
Kingston-upon-Hull 36.7 29.0 7.5 4.2 0.6 1.9
Teesside 10.1 17.7 2.0 1.8 0.4 0.5
York 0.8 1.8
Barnsley 3.9 1.5
Bradford 11.5 7.2 1.5 1.8
Dewsbury 10.8 5.4
Doncaster 30.1 15.2 39.3 13.2 10.8
Halifax 13.3 21.4 1.6 3.8 1.3
Huddersfield 48.3 32.0 3.9 4.0
Leeds 9.0 5.5 0.3 0.4
Rotherham 12.6 9.6
Sheffield 3.4 7.0 0.2
Wakefield 3.6 7.9
Cardiff 22.7 19.3 1.3 0.1 2.7 1.7
Merthyr Tydfil 11.6 6.9 14.7
Swansea 56.2 41.5 15.0 21.0 4.8 8.2
Carlisle 0.6 1.0
Derby 20.5 11.1 2.4 1.7
Exeter 13.3 6.7
Plymouth 14.6 50.2 0.9 0.8 0.4
Torbay 31.3 32.7
Darlington 4.1 6.3
Gateshead 4.4 3.2
Hartlepool 18.2 17.5 2.1
South Shields 7.2 11.5
Sunderland 20.4 14.1 0.4 2.5 0.7
Southend-on-Sea 38.4 20.1 22.2 6.1
Bristol 36.3 28.7 1.1 0.8
Gloucester 21.5 11.8 1.6 3.1 1.5 1.4
Bournemouth 24.9 20.0 0.6
Portsmouth 19.8 11.8 7.7 2.1 0.5
Southampton 19.3 25.0 2.7 2.8
Canterbury 13.0 35.5 4.0
Barrow-in.Furness 16.4 14.0 2.2
Blackburn 45.6 12.2 2.7
Blackpool 69.1 48.5 17.2 10.2 15.2 4.8
Bolton 42.6 42.7 0.7
Bootle 93.8 53.8 42.9 5.4 3.4
Burnley 27.8 18.5 6.9 10.9 3.1 1.8
Bury 1.5 1.9
Liverpool 52.9 47.6 16.1 21.7 4.4 0.4
Manchester 5.8 7.0 0.1
Oldham 7.0 7.5 0.8 2.4 0.8
Preston 8.0 5.4 0.9 0.6 0.8
Rochdale 24.3 24.6
St. Helens 45.6 25.7 1.6 3.5 1.6
Salford 35.7 20.9 16.4 3.4
Southport 16.4 12.8 2.3
Warrington 10.8 25.0 12.1 1.9
Wigan 48.0 18.2 11.8 2.9
Leicester 7.9 13.9 2.1
Grimsby 4.2 6.3
Lincoln 4.4 9.8 3.7 1.4
City of London 3.5 6.2 0.9 0.7

(Where no figure is entered there was no application refused.)

Mr. Alan Williams

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applicants for legal aid, for the latest convenient period, who were refused legal aid after committal proceedings in each county and in each borough in England and Wales were subsequently granted legal aid by a higher court;

(2) how many persons were refused legal aid in criminal cases in each borough and in each county in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971, to the latest available date; and how many of these persons in each area were subsequently found not guilty;

(3) what, for the latest convenient period, is the total number in England and Wales of applicants for legal aid who were refused, and after committal proceedings were subsequently granted aid by a higher court.

Mr. Carlisle

I regret that this information is not available.

Mr. Alan Williams

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many counties and borough in England and Wales approved less than half the national average approved proportion of applications for legal aid in 1969, 1970 and to the latest availale date in 1971; and if he will publish their names;

(2) which counties and boroughs in England and Wales approved less than a quarter of the nationally approved proportion of applications for legal aid in 1969, 1970 and to the latest available date in 1971, respectively.

Mr. Carlisle

None in 1969 and 1970; information for 1971 is not yet available.

Mr. Alan Williams

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is

Number of areas in which the proportion of applications for legal aid refused by magistrates was higher than in Swansea Number of areas in which the proportion of applications for legal aid refused by magistrates was lower than in Swansea
1969 1970 1969 1970
Committal proceedings 8 2 138 144
Summary proceedings 3 9 143 137
Trial on indictment 5 2 141 144

Figures for 1971 are not yet available.

Mr. Alan Williams

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many counties and boroughs in England and Wales in 1969, 1970 and 1971, to the value of legal aid provided in each county and in each borough in England and Wales; and what is the value per head of population, of applicants, and of approved applicants, respectively.

Mr. Carlisle

I regret that this information is not readily available, and could not be obtained without disproportionate expenditure and effort.

Mr. Alan Williams

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many counties and boroughs in England and Wales in 1969, 1970 and 1971, to the latest available date, refused fewer, and how many refused more, applications for legal aid for committal trials than Swansea.

Mr. Carlisle

The available information relates to counties, county boroughs and London commission areas, and excludes juvenile cases. In 1969 the number of refusals by Swansea magistrates of applications for legal aid in committal proceedings was greater than in 134 areas and less than in 12. The corresponding figures for 1970 were 140 and 6. Statistics for 1971 are not yet available.

Mr. Alan Williams

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in 1969, 1970, and to the latest available date, in 1971, how many counties and boroughs approved a higher proportion of applications for legal aid, and how many approved a smaller proportion than Swansea for committal proceedings, summary proceedings and committals for trial, respectively.

Mr. Carlisle

The available information which relates to counties, county boroughs and London commission areas, and excludes juvenile cases is as follows:

the latest available date, refused fewer, and how many refused more, applications for legal aid for committal proceedings than Swansea.

Mr. Carlisle

The available information relates to counties, county boroughs and London commission areas, and excludes juvenile cases. In 1969 the number of refusals by Swansea magistrates of applications for legal aid for trial on indictment was greater than in 129 areas and less than in 14. The corresponding figures for 1970 were 139 and 6. Statistics for 1971 are not yet available.