asked the Attorney-General how much civil legal aid has been granted to enable people to appeal against a decision of a magistrate to remand them in custody, pending their trial at the Crown court.

Criminal legal aid in the Crown court is available and is the normal channel adopted by applicants in the circumstances described. It is granted in a substantial number of cases. Though available in principle, civil legal aid in the High Court is seldom sought by applicants, and there is no separate record of the amount disbursed.