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1732518

registered interest
date	08/10/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of restoring the scope of cases covered by legal aid to those provided for prior to the Legal Aid, Sentencing, and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Abtisam Mohamed
uin	7986
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2024 answer text <p>Legal aid is a vital part of the justice system. It underpins our plans to build a justice system that works for victims, supports access to justice, and ultimately upholds the rule of law.</p><p>The Government is committed to ensuring an effective and sustainable legal aid system and is keen to work closely with practitioners and their representative bodies on this. We are carefully considering options for reform following evidence gathered on the health of the system, including, for example, information gathered as part of the Review of Civil Legal Aid.</p><p>To support housing legal aid work, we are providing £1.5 million in grant funding for the recruitment of trainee housing solicitors until November 2025.</p><p>We also recognise the importance of the broader legal support system, beyond legal aid, in helping people to access justice. We are providing over £10 million of grant funding, up to March 2025, to identify what works best in the delivery and provision of legal support for people with social welfare legal problems. This includes the ‘Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support’ grant, which supports the work of 59 organisations to sustain and improve access to early legal support and support at court.</p><p>It also includes the ‘Online Support and Advice’ Grant, which ensures the provision of online support across a range of civil, family and tribunal problems.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Swindon South answering member printed Heidi Alexander grouped question UIN 7987 7988 question first answered 15/10/2024 16:39:55 answering member 4038 label Biography information for Heidi Alexander
tabling member	5142

1732519

registered interest
date	08/10/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits providing grants to legal aid providers to help increase the accessibility of legal aid.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Abtisam Mohamed
uin	7987
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2024 answer text <p>Legal aid is a vital part of the justice system. It underpins our plans to build a justice system that works for victims, supports access to justice, and ultimately upholds the rule of law.</p><p>The Government is committed to ensuring an effective and sustainable legal aid system and is keen to work closely with practitioners and their representative bodies on this. We are carefully considering options for reform following evidence gathered on the health of the system, including, for example, information gathered as part of the Review of Civil Legal Aid.</p><p>To support housing legal aid work, we are providing £1.5 million in grant funding for the recruitment of trainee housing solicitors until November 2025.</p><p>We also recognise the importance of the broader legal support system, beyond legal aid, in helping people to access justice. We are providing over £10 million of grant funding, up to March 2025, to identify what works best in the delivery and provision of legal support for people with social welfare legal problems. This includes the ‘Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support’ grant, which supports the work of 59 organisations to sustain and improve access to early legal support and support at court.</p><p>It also includes the ‘Online Support and Advice’ Grant, which ensures the provision of online support across a range of civil, family and tribunal problems.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Swindon South answering member printed Heidi Alexander grouped question UIN 7986 7988 question first answered 15/10/2024 16:39:55 answering member 4038 label Biography information for Heidi Alexander
tabling member	5142

1732520

registered interest
date	08/10/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to take steps to increase legal aid fee rates.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Abtisam Mohamed
uin	7988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2024 answer text <p>Legal aid is a vital part of the justice system. It underpins our plans to build a justice system that works for victims, supports access to justice, and ultimately upholds the rule of law.</p><p>The Government is committed to ensuring an effective and sustainable legal aid system and is keen to work closely with practitioners and their representative bodies on this. We are carefully considering options for reform following evidence gathered on the health of the system, including, for example, information gathered as part of the Review of Civil Legal Aid.</p><p>To support housing legal aid work, we are providing £1.5 million in grant funding for the recruitment of trainee housing solicitors until November 2025.</p><p>We also recognise the importance of the broader legal support system, beyond legal aid, in helping people to access justice. We are providing over £10 million of grant funding, up to March 2025, to identify what works best in the delivery and provision of legal support for people with social welfare legal problems. This includes the ‘Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support’ grant, which supports the work of 59 organisations to sustain and improve access to early legal support and support at court.</p><p>It also includes the ‘Online Support and Advice’ Grant, which ensures the provision of online support across a range of civil, family and tribunal problems.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Swindon South answering member printed Heidi Alexander grouped question UIN 7986 7987 question first answered 15/10/2024 16:39:55 answering member 4038 label Biography information for Heidi Alexander
tabling member	5142

1726980

registered interest
date	03/09/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of legal aid in the context of recent increases in the cost of living.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Abtisam Mohamed
uin	4097
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2024 answer text <p>Legal aid is a vital part of the justice system. It underpins our plans to build a justice system that works for victims, supports access to justice, and ultimately upholds the rule of law.</p><p> </p><p>We are keen to understand the different ways the legal aid system can be improved to ensure each part works to the best of its ability. We will be carefully considering our options on the way forward including the evidence gathered over the past year on civil legal aid.</p><p> </p><p>This Government understands the challenges related to legal aid eligibility and we are assessing the appropriate next steps. We are also seeking to implement changes to the means test that will extend the range of payments which may or must be disregarded from the legal aid means assessment.</p> answering member constituency Swindon South answering member printed Heidi Alexander question first answered 11/09/2024 14:16:45 answering member 4038 label Biography information for Heidi Alexander
tabling member	5142

1726520

registered interest
date	02/09/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase fees payable for (1) barristers, and (2) solicitors, undertaking legal aid cases.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Bristol
uin	HL584
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2024 answer text <p>We want to understand the different ways in which the justice system can be improved and will be carefully considering our options on the way forward, including with regards to legal aid. We acknowledge that the sustainability of the profession is central to a successful legal aid system.</p><p> </p><p>We will carefully consider the evidence including, for example, information gathered as part of the Review of Civil Legal Aid.</p> answering member printed Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede question first answered 16/09/2024 13:42:05 answering member 3154 label Biography information for Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
tabling member	4709 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Bristol

1725697

registered interest
date	30/08/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to (a) review and (b) reform civil legal aid.
tabling member constituency	Bedford
tabling member printed	Mohammad Yasin
uin	3013
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2024 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the civil legal aid sector and are keen to work closely with practitioners and their representative bodies to look at how best we can address this.</p><p>We want to understand the different ways in which the justice system can be improved and will be carefully considering our options on the way forward. This includes considering the evidence on civil legal aid gathered over the past year.</p> answering member constituency Swindon South answering member printed Heidi Alexander question first answered 09/09/2024 16:04:30 answering member 4038 label Biography information for Heidi Alexander
tabling member	4598 label Biography information for Mohammad Yasin

1722419

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on ensuring value for money in legal aid provision.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2024 answer text <p>Legal aid is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland. My Rt. Hon. friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice has not yet had the opportunity to discuss legal aid with the devolved governments. Ministers look forward to working with their counterparts in the devolved governments on a range of issues, including legal aid.</p> answering member constituency Swindon South answering member printed Heidi Alexander question first answered 25/07/2024 12:39:07 answering member 4038 label Biography information for Heidi Alexander
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1700845

registered interest
date	15/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 23 November 2023 to Question 2542 on Legal Aid Scheme: Manchester and Middlesbrough, what progress has been made on preparing the evaluation report into the early legal advice pilot scheme; and when he plans to publish that report.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	21609
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>We plan to publish all Early Legal Advice Pilot (ELAP) outputs in accordance with Government Social Research protocols very soon.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 23/04/2024 14:14:34 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1692783

registered interest
date	29/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that legal aid remains accessible.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	16285
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2024 answer text <p>Access to justice is a fundamental right, and in 2022/23 we spent £1.86 billion on legal aid: £926 million on civil, £873 million on crime, and £56 million through central funds (central funds provide funding for, amongst other things, Defence Costs Orders, which are made in respect of non legally-aided defendants who are acquitted, and independent cross examination of vulnerable witnesses in criminal and civil proceedings).</p><p>The Ministry of Justice published the Government Response to the Means Test Review consultation exercise in May 2023, which sets out the detailed policy decisions underpinning the new means-test arrangements.</p><p>Our changes will increase the number of people eligible for civil legal aid in England and Wales by an additional 2.5 million, with 3.5 million more people eligible for criminal legal aid at the magistrates’ court.</p><p>We have also injected up to £10 million a year into housing legal aid through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS). HLPAS provides early legal advice on housing, debt, and welfare benefits problems for anyone facing the loss of their home.</p><p>In 2023, we broadened the evidence requirements for victims of domestic abuse applying for legal aid. Special Guardianship Orders in private law proceedings were also brought into the scope of legal aid. This represented an injection of £13 million a year.</p><p>We will shortly be consulting on expanding the provision of legal aid at inquests related to major incidents where the Independent Public Advocate is appointed or in the aftermath of terrorist incidents. If implemented, this would mean that no family involved in such cases in future would face an inquest without proper legal representation.</p><p>To support and strengthen the criminal legal aid sector, in responding to the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, we uplifted most criminal legal aid fee schemes by 15% in 2022. We are also consulting on reforms to the police station fee scheme and the Youth Court fee scheme, for which we have allocated an extra £21 million per year. These changes increase spend by up to £141 million a year - taking expected criminal legal aid spend to £1.2 billion per year. The additional funding into the system will help contribute towards the sustainability of the market and help ensure legal aid is accessible for the future.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 16425 question first answered 08/03/2024 14:37:18 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1692787

registered interest
date	29/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that legal aid remains accessible.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Charlotte Nichols
uin	16425
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2024 answer text <p>Access to justice is a fundamental right, and in 2022/23 we spent £1.86 billion on legal aid: £926 million on civil, £873 million on crime, and £56 million through central funds (central funds provide funding for, amongst other things, Defence Costs Orders, which are made in respect of non legally-aided defendants who are acquitted, and independent cross examination of vulnerable witnesses in criminal and civil proceedings).</p><p>The Ministry of Justice published the Government Response to the Means Test Review consultation exercise in May 2023, which sets out the detailed policy decisions underpinning the new means-test arrangements.</p><p>Our changes will increase the number of people eligible for civil legal aid in England and Wales by an additional 2.5 million, with 3.5 million more people eligible for criminal legal aid at the magistrates’ court.</p><p>We have also injected up to £10 million a year into housing legal aid through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS). HLPAS provides early legal advice on housing, debt, and welfare benefits problems for anyone facing the loss of their home.</p><p>In 2023, we broadened the evidence requirements for victims of domestic abuse applying for legal aid. Special Guardianship Orders in private law proceedings were also brought into the scope of legal aid. This represented an injection of £13 million a year.</p><p>We will shortly be consulting on expanding the provision of legal aid at inquests related to major incidents where the Independent Public Advocate is appointed or in the aftermath of terrorist incidents. If implemented, this would mean that no family involved in such cases in future would face an inquest without proper legal representation.</p><p>To support and strengthen the criminal legal aid sector, in responding to the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, we uplifted most criminal legal aid fee schemes by 15% in 2022. We are also consulting on reforms to the police station fee scheme and the Youth Court fee scheme, for which we have allocated an extra £21 million per year. These changes increase spend by up to £141 million a year - taking expected criminal legal aid spend to £1.2 billion per year. The additional funding into the system will help contribute towards the sustainability of the market and help ensure legal aid is accessible for the future.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 16285 question first answered 08/03/2024 14:37:18 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4799 label Biography information for Charlotte Nichols