§ Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on(a) criminal legal aid and(b) the administration of the Scottish criminal legal aid scheme in 1997–98. [44813]
§ Mr. DewarThe Scottish Legal Aid Board will shortly be publishing its full accounts on an accruals basis in its Annual Report and the hon. and learned Member will be sent a copy. In cash terms, the provisional expenditure on criminal legal aid in 1997–98 was £82.054 million. The Board also spent £7.583 million on advice and assistance in criminal matters and £2.438 million on Advice by Way of Representation (ABWOR), most of which was spent on criminal cases. The estimated cost, in cash terms, of administering criminal legal aid in 1997–98 was £2.340 million and that of the criminal elements of advice and assistance and ABWOR was £0.841 million.