All individual case funding decisions are taken by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA). It is important that these decisions are, and are seen to be, free from political and Government influence.<\/p>
<\/p>
Legal aid can be provided, if the matter or issue in question is within scope of the legal aid scheme, as defined in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO).<\/p>
<\/p>
Legal aid is available for advice and assistance for all inquests, subject to a means and merits test. Legal aid funding for legal representation for a family, during an inquest hearing, is not in scope of LASPO.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government recognises that for certain inquests, bereaved people may require representation; legal aid may therefore be available, through the Exceptional Case Funding scheme, if certain criteria are met:<\/p>
<\/p>
(a) if a failure to provide such representation would breach, or likely risk a breach of, the government\u2019s obligations under the European Convention of Human Rights, usually Article 2; or<\/p>
where the Director of Legal Aid Casework (DLAC) makes a determination that there is a \u2018wider public interest\u2019 in legal representation being granted.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3926", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Maynard"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Blackpool North and Cleveleys"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Paul Maynard"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-01T15:48:04.173Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Legal Aid Scheme: Terrorism"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what criteria his Department uses to determine the allocation of legal aid; and how his Department assesses the claims of families of victims of terrorist attacks against that criteria.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3968", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Lloyd"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Eastbourne"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Lloyd"} ], "uin" : "268455"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131682", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1131682/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Government departments undertake a policy impact assessment when developing new legislation. Where relevant, impact assessments include consideration of how a policy may decrease or increase greenhouse gas emissions. This is reflected in our strong progress on climate change \u2013 we have reduced emissions by 42% since 1990, while growing our economy by two thirds, and transformed our power sector with over half of our electricity now coming from low carbon generation.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4021", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Skidmore"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingswood"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Skidmore"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-20T16:20:05.773Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Government Departments: Climate Change"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment each Department makes of the implications for climate change when making policy decisions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3968", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Lloyd"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Eastbourne"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Lloyd"} ], "uin" : "263801"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128529", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1128529/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department recently published its response to the public consultation on increases to teachers\u2019 pensions employer contributions. All representations made by stakeholders have been considered, alongside all evidence relevant to the issues involved. The Department has decided to maintain its original proposal, to fund schools which receive public funding and Further Education providers for 2019-20, and not to fund Higher Education Institutions or Independent Schools. Funding beyond 2019-20 is a matter for the upcoming Spending Review.<\/p>