§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate what was the expenditure from the legal aid fund(a) in total and (b) in Wales in the last available year. [15789]
Mr. John M. TaylorActual net expenditure on legal aid in England and Wales in 1993–94 was £1,210 million. For expenditure in Wales, I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 2 March 1995,Official Report, column 677. The legal aid fund in Wales is administered by two separate area offices, situated at Cardiff and Chester, the latter being also responsible for administering legal aid in parts of England. It is therefore not possible readily to identify payments made solely in respect of assisted persons resident in Wales, nor is it possible to estimate what proportion of legal aid fund expenditure related specifically to Wales.