HC Deb 16 April 1996 vol 275 cc456-7W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on legal costs in defending personnel in military and civilian courts in each of the last five years; and what is his estimate for the current year. [24831]

Mr. Soames

Service legal aid is available to accused service personnel who are to be tried by courts martial, or wish to appeal to the courts martial appeal court, or are to be tried by a civilian criminal court outside the UK in respect of an offence committed while off duty, or are to be tried before standing civilian courts. Records of the total costs of this aid are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.