The cost of fighting protracted legal battles and maintaining separate facilities for those condemned to death looks increasingly unaffordable when schools and libraries are being closed.

Lord Falconer will set out his plans for more crown and magistrates courts to have video links and facilities which keep victims and witnesses separate from defendants.

Many less privileged state schools are also prospering: after dividing their intake into separate streams, for example, they charge more for the classes with better teachers and facilities.