179. Statement as to offender's financial circumstances before conviction.

The designated officer for a magistrates' court and the appropriate officer of the Crown Court may request a person who is charged with an offence to furnish a statement of financial circumstances (whether a statement of assets, of other financial circumstances or of both) in order to inform the court, in the event of that person being convicted, of his financial circumstances for the purpose of determining the amount of any fine the court may impose and how it should be paid