Coroners: Armed Forces

Mr. Gale
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for legal aid have been made in order to secure legal representation at the inquest into the deaths of armed forces personnel since January 2003; and how many such applications have been granted.

Mr. Malik
Applications for exceptional funding are made to the Legal Services Commission (LSC), the independent body which administers the legal aid scheme, in the first instance. Exceptional funding legal aid can be granted by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on the recommendation of the LSC for representation at inquests, if the exceptional funding criteria are met.

The LSC does not break down the number of applications it receives for representation at inquests by category of inquest.

The MoJ has received applications relating to 16 military inquests since January 2003 and has granted funding for all 16 inquests.