§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost in a full year of anticipated applications for a warrant of detention to magistrates under clauses 33 and 34 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe main cost of the procedures in clauses 33 and 34 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill will be attributable to calls on the time of magistrates and the police which involve no additional expenditure. There will be small additional travelling and stationery costs, but 283W these are not at present quantifiable. The Bill provides for a detained person to make written representations to the magistrate considering the application for a warrant of detention which relates to him, and it is possible that some detained persons will seek legal advice and assistance in the preparation of such representations. It is, however, not possible to offer an estimate of the proportion of cases in which this will occur or involve additional public expenditure. The Bill also provides for legal aid to be available to a detained person for the purposes of the hearing of an application for a warrant of further detention; and on present information it is possible to estimate that it might involve additional expenditure on legal aid of the order of £12,500 a year.