§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many legal aid certificates which were valid up to and including trial were issued in each of the counties of Wales for each of the last six years.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe Legal Aid Board publishes statistics on the number of certificates issued in respect of civil proceedings in its annual reports (Tables "Civil 6" and "Civil 7" on pages 52 and 53 of the 1991–92 report). The number of defendants and appellants receiving legal aid in the Crown court are itemised in the Department's annual publication "Judicial Statistics" (Table 10.6 of the 1991 edition). In neither instance is it possible to distinguish between assisted persons residing in Wales or England.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what is his estimate of the amount of legal aid moneys granted in magistrates courts in Wales in the years 1990–91 and 1991–92:
(2) what is his estimate of the amount of the legal aid budget expended in Wales for each of the last four years.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe Legal Aid Board records statistics on legal aid expenditure by reference to its area offices. Wales is served by two Legal Aid Board area offices, which are situated in Cardiff and Chester respectively. The Chester area office also serves parts of north-west England and the west midlands. It is not therefore possible to assess what proportion of legal aid expenditure, either generally or in relation to magistrates' courts, is attributable to assisted persons residing in Wales.