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<p>Based on the most recent data available, the table below shows how many firms (and
where a firm has multiple branches, the total number of offices) were active in any
given year providing legal aid services in criminal matters.</p><p> </p><p>Numbers
of both firms and offices have fluctuated due to a number of factors, including mergers
and acquisitions, trends in the rates of criminal offending, and the impact of other
policies and market conditions.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>2018/19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Firms</p></td><td><p>1,861</p></td><td><p>1,722</p></td><td><p>1,656</p></td><td><p>1,603</p></td><td><p>1,517</p></td><td><p>1,512</p></td><td><p>1,388</p></td><td><p>1,314</p></td><td><p>1,271</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Offices</p></td><td><p>2,598</p></td><td><p>2,415</p></td><td><p>2,338</p></td><td><p>2,282</p></td><td><p>2,172</p></td><td><p>2,240</p></td><td><p>1,991</p></td><td><p>1,998</p></td><td><p>1,921</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>The Legal Aid Agency measures capacity according to the type of scheme in question.
For criminal legal aid, all Criminal Justice System Areas over England and Wales have
firms of solicitors operating under a criminal legal aid contract, in addition to
approximately 250 Duty Solicitor schemes providing advice and representation in Police
Stations and Magistrates courts. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) monitors capacity across
criminal legal aid contracts on an ongoing basis. Where issues are identified, the
LAA takes action to ensure there is ongoing availability of criminal legal advice
for the public.</p><p> </p><p>For civil legal aid, there is at least one firm operating
in each ‘Procurement Area’ providing services in every category of law, save for the
‘Housing and Debt’ category. Of the 134 Procurement Areas for this category, 4 do
not currently have a provider holding a Housing and Debt contract, representing over
97% coverage across England and Wales. The Legal Aid Agency has since undertaken a
further tender to secure provision in the remaining areas. In addition to the Civil
Legal Advice Telephone Service, offering legal services in a range of issues to those
who need it, we are establishing a £5m innovation fund to help people access legal
support wherever they are in England and Wales.</p>
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