HC Deb 20 February 1976 vol 905 c840W
Mr. Corbett

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases in 1974 and 1975 legal aid was granted in the Crown Court for counsel only pursuant to Section 74(3) of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 and Section 30(3) of the Legal Aid Act 1974; and why this information was not given in the criminal statistics for 1974 contrary to previous practice.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

In 1974, 996 legal aid orders for counsel only were granted for representation at proceedings in the Crown Court and a further 114 such orders for representation at appeals to the Crown Court against a decision of a magistrates' court. The figures for 1975 are not yet available.

The change, in 1974, in the content and presentation of legal aid information given in the Criminal Statistics Command Paper, was made in response to various requests for other information. However, consideration is being given to including in the 1975 volume some data of the type given in earlier volumes.