2. After regulation 18 of the Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) Regulations 1987(1) there shall be inserted the following regulation:–
“Legal aid for urgent steps in proceedings
18A—(1) Where in relation to any proceedings–
(a)any step mentioned in paragraph (2) below has required to be taken (as a matter of urgency in order to protect the applicant’s position in those proceedings) before an application for legal aid is determined by the Board; and
(b)the application is granted by the Board,
the legal aid made available shall include legal aid in relation to any such step.
(2) The steps to which paragraph (1) above applies are–
(a)entering appearance or lodging notice of intention to defend or appear;
(b)moving that the action be sisted to enable an application for legal aid to be determined by the Board; and
(c)where the court requires it, lodging defences.”.
S.I. 1987/381.