HC Deb 18 January 1999 vol 323 cc324-5W
Mr. Forth

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the total cost of providing legal aid to asylum seekers in(a) asylum cases, (b) criminal cases and (c) other cases in the past three years. [65467]

Mr. Hoon

The information requested is not available. The data collected by the Legal Aid Board and the courts do not identify separately applications made for legal aid by asylum seekers. However the amount paid out for Legal Advice and Assistance in respect of all Immigration and Nationality matters, over the last three years, was as follows:

Year £000
1995–96 23,929
1996–97 26,146
1997–98 35,218