Karl Turner

Freeports will bring together ports, local authorities, businesses and other key local stakeholders to achieve a common goal of shared prosperity and opportunity for their regions. This is likely to increase jobs in the Humber region, including seafarer jobs due to greater shipping activity.

Freeports will bring together ports, local authorities, businesses and other key local stakeholders to achieve a common goal of shared prosperity and opportunity for their regions. This is likely to increase jobs in the Humber region, including seafarer jobs due to greater shipping activity.

In the Budget speech on 3 March, the Chancellor announced that 8 Freeports would be created in 8 regions of England, as selected by the Secretary of State for the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government. Subject to agreeing the governance arrangements and successfully completing the business cases, these Freeports will begin operations from late 2021. The introduction of Freeports in late 2021 will not have an impact on GSFC routes as the current GSFC contracts run until 30 June 2021.

The UK’s eight newly established Freeports will be national hubs for international trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK. Government will ensure that the UK’s high standards with respect to workers’ rights will not be compromised – like any other business in the UK.

The UK currently recognises and accepts all seafarer identity documents that are compliant with ILO Convention 108, and will also accept documents compliant with ILO Convention 185 where the issuing State has previously ratified ILO 108. The UK was a major contributor to the drafting and subsequent amendments of ILO 185.

The pandemic has delayed progress but officials continue to work with Home Office on the significant technical, security and operational requirements that would need to be in place to allow ratification.

Following a robust procurement process, contracts were awarded to Brittany Ferries, DFDS, P&O Ferries and Stena Line on 13 October 2020. There is one route involving the Port of Hull, through which P&O ferries will provide freight capacity between Hull and Europort Rotterdam. This contract has a minimum value of £1, and a maximum value of £6,052,086.

Following a robust procurement process, contracts were awarded to Brittany Ferries, DFDS, P&O Ferries and Stena Line on 13 October 2020. The contracts have already been published and are available via the Contracts Finder tool on gov.uk using the following references:

• TMAR3048A DFDS Newhaven-Dieppe
• TMAR3048B P&O Ferries Tilbury-Zeebrugge
• TMAR3048C P&O Ferries Hull-Europort
• TMAR3048D Brittany Ferries Poole-Cherbourg
• TMAR3048E Stena Line Harwich – Hook of Holland
• TMAR3049A P&O Ferries Tilbury - Zeebrugge
• TMAR3049B DFDS Felixstowe - Vlaardingen
• TMAR3049C Stena Line Harwich - Rotterdam
• TMAR3049D P&O Ferries Teesport-Zeebrugge
• TMAR3049E Brittany Ferries Portsmouth-Le Havre

Following a robust procurement process, contracts were awarded to Brittany Ferries, DFDS, P&O Ferries and Stena Line on 13 October 2020. There is one route involving the Port of Hull, through which P&O ferries will provide freight capacity between Hull and Europort Rotterdam.

The vessel in question is registered in Cyprus and is currently operating out of the Netherlands. Cyprus has ratified the Maritime Labour Convention and the employment conditions on board must be in compliance with the Convention.

If there is reason to believe that the vessel is not in compliance, it should be brought either to the attention of the Dutch maritime authorities, as the port state for the vessel, or the Cypriot maritime authorities as the flag state.

The Government is providing up to £35.2m in funding to maintain capacity for critical goods for 9 weeks across 16 critical freight routes. During the height of the crisis, we believed it was important to keep this vital flow of critical goods such as medicines and food into and across the UK.

The providers of expert advice are as follows:

1. Legal advice - Slaughter & May

2. Technical advice - Costain

3. Financial advice - PwC

The amounts spent on the external experts to date are as follows:

1. Slaughter & May - £394,048

2. Costain - £188,676

3. PwC - £178,058

These figures exclude VAT.

I have met with both P&O Ferries and the maritime unions to discuss P&O’s redundancy proposal. As P&O remains in the consultation phase its proposals have not been finalised.

Payments on PSO routes are calculated using actual revenues each week, so final payments will depend on performance of both the freight and passenger market. Results for weeks to date are currently being assessed and final award values for those weeks are not yet known; details of the actual subsidy amounts paid will be published in due course.

The estimated values of the PSO Agreements at the point of contract award were published in the Official Journal of the European Union and were as follows:

* The estimate for Hull-Europoort was later revised to £4,779,369.

The Department holds information on revenues received, but will not release it as it is commercially sensitive and confidential.

Details of subsidy amounts paid out under the PSO Agreements will be published in due course.

The Chamber of Shipping’s Ferry Recovery Group is an industry forum and does not have government participation. I and Senior Officials have had individual and group calls with a number of ferry operators and have regular dialogue with the UK Chamber of Shipping where views from the Ferry Recovery Group can be conveyed.

My Department’s officials and I have been working closely with operators across the maritime sector including P&O Ferries, to understand the impacts and challenges they face from the global COVID-19 crisis. The Department recognises the contribution UK seafarers make to the economy and we remain committed to supporting them.

The government has announced an unprecedented package of financial measures to support businesses and employees through the Covid-19 pandemic, worth £350 billion. This package includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) which will continue until the end of October.

On May 11 P&O issued notice that a 45-day statutory consultation period would commence over plans to make 1,100 staff redundant. The consultation covers all staff who work for P&O both on shore and in seafaring roles regardless of whether they are currently furloughed or not.

The Department for Transport engaged external experts for legal, technical and financial advice on the design of the Public Service Obligation Agreements.

Crewing levels on all ships, including passenger ferries, are contained in the ship’s safe manning document as issued by the flag-State maritime administration in line with international principles.

The P&O ferries operating from (a) Hull and (b) Dover are Cypriot flagged and it is for the Cyprus Maritime Administration to determine the minimum safe manning levels.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s role as the port-State is to monitor the safe operation of these vessels through inspections.

Two Public Service Obligation (PSO) Agreements were awarded to P&O Ferries on routes from the Port of Hull. The value of the awards will depend on actual revenues and service level requirements during operation. The estimated value of these PSO Agreements at the point of contract award have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union and are as follows:

• PSO Agreement between Hull and Europoort Rotterdam: £3,504,249, – this has since been revised to £4,779,369.

• PSO Agreement between Hull and Zeebrugge: £1,842,210

Further updates on the value of these PSO Agreements will be provided in due course.

There is no permissible revenue level defined in the Public Service Obligation (PSO) Agreements awarded to P&O Ferries on routes from the Port of Hull. All revenues paid or payable to the operator in connection with its operation of a route are considered as “Recognised Revenues” for the purposes of the PSO Agreements.

Two Public Service Obligation (PSO) Agreements were awarded to P&O Ferries on routes from the Port of Hull. The value of the awards will depend on actual revenues and service level requirements during operation. The estimated value of these PSO Agreements at the point of contract award have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union and are as follows:

• PSO Agreement between Hull and Europoort Rotterdam: £3,504,249, – this has since been revised to £4,779,369.

• PSO Agreement between Hull and Zeebrugge: £1,842,210

Further updates on the value of these PSO Agreements will be provided in due course.

There is no permissible revenue level defined in the Public Service Obligation (PSO) Agreements awarded to P&O Ferries on routes from the Port of Hull. All revenues paid or payable to the operator in connection with its operation of a route are considered as “Recognised Revenues” for the purposes of the PSO Agreements.

The Secretary of State for Transport maintains a close interest in the issues impacting UK seafarers and ferry operations. However, no such assessment has been made on those specific routes.

To support maritime businesses and seafarer jobs that have been impacted by the outbreak of Covid-19, the Government has made available a series of unprecedented financial support packages, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). Any employer with a UK bank account and PAYE scheme is eligible for a grant to cover 80% of the wages of its employees, up to £2500 per month.

I have had continued engagement with a range of maritime and other transport operators during the pandemic. I have also met with the maritime Trade Unions, where current and future matters impacting workers, and the sector as a whole, were discussed, and will continue to have an ongoing dialogue with them.

I have spoken to both P&O and the Trade Unions regarding the challenges P&O are currently facing.

Due to the sensitive nature of this issue we assume talks will also be happening between P&O and the Trade Unions.

On 24 April Government committed to keeping freight flowing on routes into and across the UK. Following engagement with operators, DfT has awarded contracts for 16 routes with 6 operators, worth an estimated £34m over 2 months. The Department for Transport will publish regular updates on this support.

In addition, and to support maritime businesses and seafarer jobs, which have been impacted by the outbreak of Covid-19, the Government has made available unprecedented financial support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Any employer with a UK bank account and PAYE scheme is eligible for a grant to cover 80% of the wages of its employees, up to £2500 per month.

These measures are helping to ensure vital routes remain open for all companies, including P&O Ferries.

The Department’s officials and I have been working closely with operators across the maritime sector including P&O Ferries, to understand the impacts and challenges they face from the global COVID-19 crisis. The Department recognises the contribution UK seafarers make to the economy and we remain committed to supporting them. On 24 April we announced a package of support to maintain services on critical freight routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and between Great Britain and mainland Europe.

P&O have around 1,400 staff enrolled on the furlough scheme. The specific number of P&O staff furloughed at the ports or ferries at Hull and Dover is not held by the Department for Transport

UK domiciled seafarers who are employed by an entity that has a UK PAYE scheme as at 19^th March and a UK bank account are eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

These matters are flag blind, I wrote to the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization on 23^rd March stating that as a port state the UK will continue to recognise its international obligations and allow seafarers to transit and transfer in the UK and to access shore leave.

I have spoken with Lord Ahmad (Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) regarding specific issues with the repatriation of seafarers.

As the flag state authority, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has made specific measures in regard certification and employment to aid shipowners and seafarers with crewing arrangements.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has been very clear that the pandemic does not remove the duty of care that ship operators have to their seafarers.

I wrote to the UN agencies on 23^rd March setting out the UK will continue to permit seafarers to transit and transfer in the UK and access to shore leave. This letter was shared with all state parties to the agencies. The ILO and the International Maritime Organization have also issued guidance to all state parties to recognise seafarers as key workers and to remind states of their obligations under international maritime law to facilitate the movement of seafarers and to allow seafarers to be repatriated.

I have spoken with Lord Ahmad (Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) regarding specific issues with the repatriation of seafarers.

My Department is looking at ways to best ensure how those aviation personnel who are temporarily displaced from their jobs in aviation may be able to return to their roles quickly and with the minimum of delay when operations start to be resumed.

As aviation security personnel are exempt from SIA licensing, my officials are speaking with the Home Office to see what options may be possible should aviation security personnel wish to pursue security roles elsewhere.

The working time arrangements of air traffic controllers reflect the vital role they play in maintaining air safety. These arrangements are long standing and designed to ensure that controllers are physically and mentally fit to carry out their operational duties.

The current working time arrangements already provide some flexibility which could be used if deemed necessary. An air navigation service provider can seek an amendment to the working time arrangements for their unit from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or in exceptional circumstances use its own discretion to modify them on a temporary basis.

My Department and the Civil Aviation Authority are examining this issue amongst others, to ensure that when aviation operations resume, people can return to work as soon as possible.

The Department is monitoring several intelligence sources in regard the actions of other States in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and is noting measures put in place that may affect the transit and transfer of all seafarers and access to shore leave.

We are in regular contact with ship operators on the effects of pandemic on business.

Apprenticeship policy is a matter for the Department for Education. The statistics for apprenticeship numbers are published online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships#apprenticeship-starts-and-achievements

The number of apprenticeship starts for ratings in 2018-19 were (a) 45

Deck (Able Seafarer) and (b) 125 Engine Room Rating. Maritime caterer was not approved in time to appear in the 2018-19 data. No comparative assessment has been made of the current supply or projected demand for ratings. However, there has been encouraging uptake in apprenticeships in the Maritime sector. Government data shows the number of starts on maritime apprenticeships more than doubled between 2014-15 and 2017-18.

My Department continues to work with industry to support maritime apprenticeships for both seafaring and shore-based roles.

Apprenticeship policy is a matter for the Department for Education. The statistics for apprenticeship numbers are published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships#apprenticeship-starts-and-achievements

There were 344 maritime apprenticeship starts in 2018-19. No assessment has been made of the annual demand for seafarers in the offshore energy sector.

The figures shown in table SFR0303 of the UK Seafarer Statistics are based on data collected via the annual Chamber of Shipping (CoS) Seafarer Employment Survey. During the data collection period, the Department liaises closely with the CoS to ensure the quality and completeness of the data is as high as possible, with a response rate of around 90% of eligible companies achieved in 2019, similar to previous years. The survey does not provide complete coverage of UK seafarers active at sea but does represent the best current estimate.

However, trends over time can be impacted by changes in membership or operations. For example, if a large company decided to move its operations or crewing outside the UK, this could result in large fluctuations in the figures.

The Department has introduced measures to support greater training opportunities for ratings. We continue to work with stakeholders to promote the training and employment of all UK seafarers.

The Diamond Princess is registered with the United Kingdom. As Flag State, our obligations under the international Maritime Labour Convention include safeguarding the welfare and well-being of all the crew, not just those who were UK nationals, and that they could all access, amongst other things, medical support, as and when they needed it.

During the quarantine period of the Diamond Princess the UK government acted on behalf of the safety and well-being of a) the crew and b) the passengers. UK officials in my Department and at the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, as well as valuable consular support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Tokyo, worked closely with the ship-owner, Carnival Cruises, the Japanese Government and their health authorities in Yokohama to ensure the well-being and safety of all persons on board and limit the risk of contagion spreading.

The Department does not assess the Merchant Navy Training Board’s progress in promoting ratings and cadet training.

Officials from the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency sit on the Merchant Navy Training Board with observer status. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are there primarily as a regulator of standards against the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978.

There have been no discussions between the Secretary of State for Transport the Secretary of State for Education on the take up of apprenticeships and the levy amongst employers in the shipping industry.

My Department has been awaiting the legal outcome of the employment tribunal – Walker v Wallem Shipmanagement, in which a female seafarer was discriminated against during the recruitment process because of her sex. This case pertained to the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011. The tribunal’s judgement raises concerns about loopholes in the Regulations designed to protect seafarers. Addressing any potential issue would require a legislative amendment and will need to be addressed separately, while we continue with the publication of the Post Implementation Review.

As of 7th June 8.9 million workers have been furloughed through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), with a total of £19.6bn claimed. From 1 July, employers can bring back to work employees that have been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim for the hours not worked. Employers will need to agree any flexible furlough arrangements with employees.

From August 2020, the level of the grant will be slowly tapered to reflect that people will be returning to work. To enable the introduction of flexible furloughing, and support those already furloughed back to work, claims from July onwards will be restricted to employers currently using the scheme and previously furloughed employees. Further information about the scheme can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wages-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Shipping companies may also benefit from a range of other schemes. The Business Support website provides further information about the support that has been made available, who is eligible and how to apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.

Support is being provided to maintain capacity on 16 critical freight routes (listed below) to help ensure critical goods can move freely. These routes are run by the following 6 operators: Brittany Ferries; DFDS; Eurotunnel; P&O; Seatruck; and Stena. Contracts with these operators are in place for 9 weeks from 11 May and are not backdated.

Route:

• Portsmouth-Santander
• Portsmouth-Cherbourg
• Poole-Bilbao
• Dover-Dunkerque
• Dover-Calais
• Folkestone-Coquelles
• Cairnryan-Larne
• Tilbury-Zeebrugge
• Teesport-Europoort
• Hull-Europoort
• Hull-Zeebrugge
• Heysham-Warrenpoint
• Rotterdam-Killingholme
• Cairnryan-Belfast
• Harwich-Rotterdam
• Harwich-Hoek van Holland

Applications for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) opened on Monday 20 April. By midnight 31 May 2020, 1.1m employers had submitted claims to HMRC representing 8.7m furloughed employments and £17.5bn. HMRC do not comment on identifiable taxpayers.

The Government has already announced a range of measures to support all businesses, including roll-on roll-off ferry operators. In addition, on 24 April Government committed to keeping freight flowing on routes into and across the UK. Following engagement with operators, DfT has awarded contracts for 16 routes with 6 operators, worth an estimated £34m over 2 months. DfT will publish regular updates on this package.

Any entity with a UK payroll can apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as long as they have: (1) created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020, (2) enrolled for PAYE online and (3) a UK bank account. This applies to any organisation including those listed in these questions. Further guidance can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Any entity with a UK payroll can apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as long as they have: (1) created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020, (2) enrolled for PAYE online and (3) a UK bank account. This applies to any organisation including those listed in these questions. Further guidance can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Any entity with a UK payroll can apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as long as they have: (1) created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020, (2) enrolled for PAYE online and (3) a UK bank account. This applies to any organisation including those listed in these questions. Further guidance can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Home Office Migration Statistics do not publish the number of seafarers who have been granted leave to enter the UK to join vessels working in UK territorial waters under the Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession.

To capture numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

The Home Office does not collect or store the data on the number of overseas nationals working in the offshore industry in the UK from 2017 to date.

We do not collect information on employers using the concession. The Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies which is consistent with the wider immigration system.

The Home Office is unable to report on the cost or staff hours spent in relation to the concession. To obtain this information would require detailed reporting against many Home Office units and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

The Government regularly reviews the existence of concessions against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Home Office does not collect or store the data on the number of overseas nationals working in the offshore industry in the UK from 2017 to date.

We do not collect information on employers using the concession. The Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies which is consistent with the wider immigration system.

The Home Office is unable to report on the cost or staff hours spent in relation to the concession. To obtain this information would require detailed reporting against many Home Office units and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

The Government regularly reviews the existence of concessions against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Home Office does not collect or store the data on the number of overseas nationals working in the offshore industry in the UK from 2017 to date.

We do not collect information on employers using the concession. The Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies which is consistent with the wider immigration system.

The Home Office is unable to report on the cost or staff hours spent in relation to the concession. To obtain this information would require detailed reporting against many Home Office units and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

The Government regularly reviews the existence of concessions against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Home Office does not collect or store the data on the number of overseas nationals working in the offshore industry in the UK from 2017 to date.

We do not collect information on employers using the concession. The Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies which is consistent with the wider immigration system.

The Home Office is unable to report on the cost or staff hours spent in relation to the concession. To obtain this information would require detailed reporting against many Home Office units and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

The Government regularly reviews the existence of concessions against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

We do not collect information on employers using the concession. The Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies which is consistent with the wider immigration system.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Home Office does not hold readily available data on the number of overseas nationals working in the offshore industry in the UK from 2017 to date.

The Government is committed to making the UK a global leader in green energy and supporting the offshore windfarm sector is a key part of this commitment.

The information about the concession is published online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offshore-wind-workers-immigration-rules-concession-2017(opens in a new tab).

The Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies or their work.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The concession allows the employment of foreign nationals who are joining vessels engaged in the construction and maintenance of offshore wind projects in UK territorial waters.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Home Office regularly reviews its policies and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

I frequently engage with colleagues across Government, including those in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a wide range of issues, including the operation of the immigration system.

Additionally, the Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies.

The concession allows the employment of foreign nationals who are joining vessels engaged in the construction and maintenance of offshore wind projects in UK territorial waters.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Home Office regularly reviews its policies and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

I frequently engage with colleagues across Government, including those in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a wide range of issues, including the operation of the immigration system.

Additionally, the Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies.

The concession allows the employment of foreign nationals who are joining vessels engaged in the construction and maintenance of offshore wind projects in UK territorial waters.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Home Office regularly reviews its policies and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

I frequently engage with colleagues across Government, including those in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a wide range of issues, including the operation of the immigration system.

Additionally, the Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies.

The concession allows the employment of foreign nationals who are joining vessels engaged in the construction and maintenance of offshore wind projects in UK territorial waters.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Home Office regularly reviews its policies and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

I frequently engage with colleagues across Government, including those in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a wide range of issues, including the operation of the immigration system.

Additionally, the Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies.

The concession allows the employment of foreign nationals who are joining vessels engaged in the construction and maintenance of offshore wind projects in UK territorial waters.

The information about the concession is published online at:

Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017: July 2021 update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Home Office regularly reviews its policies and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

I frequently engage with colleagues across Government, including those in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on a wide range of issues, including the operation of the immigration system.

Additionally, the Government has no plans to publish information on individual companies.

The Government has no plans to publish information on which companies are regularising the stay of their workers.

The information about the concession is published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offshore-wind-workers-immigration-rules-concession-2017.

The Government is committed to making the UK a global leader in green energy and supporting the offshore windfarm sector is a key part of this commitment.

The information about the concession is published online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offshore-wind-workers-immigration-rules-concession-2017.

The Home Office does not collect and store this data.

The Government does not hold the information on how many people who were formerly Released Under Investigation were (a) no fixed action (NFA); (b) charged and (c) convicted.

Decisions on whether to use pre-charge bail or release suspects pending further enquiries are operational matters for individual police forces and will be assessed on a case by case basis.

The Government completed its public consultation on the pre-charge bail system, including release under investigation, on 29 May 2020. Analysis of the results from this consultation is ongoing and the Government response will be published later this year.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,109 firms who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,447 firms who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 1 February 2021.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Between 1 May 2020 to 8 January 2021, a total of 2,343 hardship claims were received, which includes those made by both litigators and advocates. The LAA made payment in respect of over 99% of these claims. In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MoJ brought in Regulation changes which substantially lowered the thresholds at which a hardship claim can be submitted.

The LAA keeps the criminal legal aid market under constant review. We have contacted all providers where the majority of their income from publicly funded work is dependent upon the Crown Court. The small minority that reported that they had financial concerns are being monitored on a regular basis.

The long-term sustainability of the criminal legal aid market will be the focus of an independent review, to launch in January 2021. This is the latest step in the Criminal Legal Aid Review, which has already led to up to £51m per year in new payments for the sector that was announced in the summer. It forms part of wider work to ensure criminal defence remains an enduringly attractive career for practitioners.

In addition to the support schemes offered by the government, the LAA has introduced a number of measures to allow providers to be paid more quickly. All of the measures taken by the LAA are set out on our gov.uk page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-legal-aid-agency-contingency-response#financial-relief-page.

Across the LAA’s civil funding schemes, namely family mediation, legal help, controlled legal representation, and civil representation, there were 277,829 live cases unbilled as at the 30 September 2020, which is the latest period for which these figures are available. The LAA statistics compiled and published on a quarterly basis, as yet the December 2020 figures are not yet finalised.

The LAA is unable to provide volumes on unbilled criminal legal aid work within the costs limit. This is because our systems do not have a ‘final bill indicator’ that would enable automated searches meaning we would be required to conduct case by case searches. Therefore, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Between 1 May 2020 to 8 January 2021, a total of 2,343 hardship claims were received, which includes those made by both litigators and advocates. The LAA made payment in respect of over 99% of these claims. In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MoJ brought in Regulation changes which substantially lowered the thresholds at which a hardship claim can be submitted.

The LAA keeps the criminal legal aid market under constant review. We have contacted all providers where the majority of their income from publicly funded work is dependent upon the Crown Court. The small minority that reported that they had financial concerns are being monitored on a regular basis.

The long-term sustainability of the criminal legal aid market will be the focus of an independent review, to launch in January 2021. This is the latest step in the Criminal Legal Aid Review, which has already led to up to £51m per year in new payments for the sector that was announced in the summer. It forms part of wider work to ensure criminal defence remains an enduringly attractive career for practitioners.

In addition to the support schemes offered by the government, the LAA has introduced a number of measures to allow providers to be paid more quickly. All of the measures taken by the LAA are set out on our gov.uk page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-legal-aid-agency-contingency-response#financial-relief-page.

Across the LAA’s civil funding schemes, namely family mediation, legal help, controlled legal representation, and civil representation, there were 277,829 live cases unbilled as at the 30 September 2020, which is the latest period for which these figures are available. The LAA statistics compiled and published on a quarterly basis, as yet the December 2020 figures are not yet finalised.

The LAA is unable to provide volumes on unbilled criminal legal aid work within the costs limit. This is because our systems do not have a ‘final bill indicator’ that would enable automated searches meaning we would be required to conduct case by case searches. Therefore, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Between 1 May 2020 to 8 January 2021, a total of 2,343 hardship claims were received, which includes those made by both litigators and advocates. The LAA made payment in respect of over 99% of these claims. In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MoJ brought in Regulation changes which substantially lowered the thresholds at which a hardship claim can be submitted.

The LAA keeps the criminal legal aid market under constant review. We have contacted all providers where the majority of their income from publicly funded work is dependent upon the Crown Court. The small minority that reported that they had financial concerns are being monitored on a regular basis.

The long-term sustainability of the criminal legal aid market will be the focus of an independent review, to launch in January 2021. This is the latest step in the Criminal Legal Aid Review, which has already led to up to £51m per year in new payments for the sector that was announced in the summer. It forms part of wider work to ensure criminal defence remains an enduringly attractive career for practitioners.

In addition to the support schemes offered by the government, the LAA has introduced a number of measures to allow providers to be paid more quickly. All of the measures taken by the LAA are set out on our gov.uk page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-legal-aid-agency-contingency-response#financial-relief-page.

Across the LAA’s civil funding schemes, namely family mediation, legal help, controlled legal representation, and civil representation, there were 277,829 live cases unbilled as at the 30 September 2020, which is the latest period for which these figures are available. The LAA statistics compiled and published on a quarterly basis, as yet the December 2020 figures are not yet finalised.

The LAA is unable to provide volumes on unbilled criminal legal aid work within the costs limit. This is because our systems do not have a ‘final bill indicator’ that would enable automated searches meaning we would be required to conduct case by case searches. Therefore, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Between 1 May 2020 to 8 January 2021, a total of 2,343 hardship claims were received, which includes those made by both litigators and advocates. The LAA made payment in respect of over 99% of these claims. In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MoJ brought in Regulation changes which substantially lowered the thresholds at which a hardship claim can be submitted.

The LAA keeps the criminal legal aid market under constant review. We have contacted all providers where the majority of their income from publicly funded work is dependent upon the Crown Court. The small minority that reported that they had financial concerns are being monitored on a regular basis.

The long-term sustainability of the criminal legal aid market will be the focus of an independent review, to launch in January 2021. This is the latest step in the Criminal Legal Aid Review, which has already led to up to £51m per year in new payments for the sector that was announced in the summer. It forms part of wider work to ensure criminal defence remains an enduringly attractive career for practitioners.

In addition to the support schemes offered by the government, the LAA has introduced a number of measures to allow providers to be paid more quickly. All of the measures taken by the LAA are set out on our gov.uk page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-legal-aid-agency-contingency-response#financial-relief-page.

Across the LAA’s civil funding schemes, namely family mediation, legal help, controlled legal representation, and civil representation, there were 277,829 live cases unbilled as at the 30 September 2020, which is the latest period for which these figures are available. The LAA statistics compiled and published on a quarterly basis, as yet the December 2020 figures are not yet finalised.

The LAA is unable to provide volumes on unbilled criminal legal aid work within the costs limit. This is because our systems do not have a ‘final bill indicator’ that would enable automated searches meaning we would be required to conduct case by case searches. Therefore, the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

In light of the extraordinary circumstances engendered by the coronavirus pandemic, the Government has taken steps to ensure that enforcement activity is conducted safely and in accordance with the public health measures in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

This includes the publication of Covid-secure guidance for those using the taking control of goods procedure, which has been in place since enforcement at homes was permitted to resume in August 2020. The guidance requires a consideration of the health risks and sets out the steps that enforcement agents and firms should take in order to ensure they operate safely, including: adhering to social distancing requirements; use of suitable PPE; and withdrawing and re-scheduling their visit for a later time if a household is symptomatic or self-isolating.

The guidance is titled Working safely during COVID-19: enforcement agents (bailiffs) and is available on Gov.uk. It is kept under review to ensure it continues to reflect the latest public health advice.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,122 firms who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,460 firms who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 14 December 2020.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

The government is absolutely clear that victims of domestic abuse must have access to the help that they need, including access to legal aid. For victims of domestic abuse seeking a protective injunction, the upper income and capital thresholds are waived. This means that anyone can financially qualify for this type of legal aid, subject to potentially making a contribution to the costs of the case depending on their means. Applications for legal aid are assessed against statutory eligibility criteria, and any capital held is taken into account or disregarded to the extent the Regulations either require or permit.

In February 2019 we announced a review of the means test. The review is assessing the effectiveness with which the test protects access to justice, and we are specifically considering the experiences of victims of domestic abuse. 95% of applications for legal aid in the ‘Domestic Violence’ category of law were granted in the most recent completed financial year.

On 6 November, the Lord Chancellor wrote to the enforcement agent trade associations asking their members not to enter homes to take control of goods during the period of time that the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.4) Regulations 2020 (the health protection regulations) are in force.

On 16 November the Government laid the Public Health (Coronavirus) (Protection from Eviction and Taking Control of Goods) (England) Regulations 2020. From 17 November, the regulations prevent enforcement agents taking control of goods inside homes while the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.4) Regulations 2020 are in force. They also prevent enforcement agents from enforcing evictions (other than in limited circumstances) until 11 January.

On 6 November, the Lord Chancellor wrote to the enforcement agent trade associations asking their members not to enter homes to take control of goods during the period of time that the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.4) Regulations 2020 (the health protection regulations) are in force.

On 16 November the Government laid the Public Health (Coronavirus) (Protection from Eviction and Taking Control of Goods) (England) Regulations 2020. From 17 November, the regulations prevent enforcement agents taking control of goods inside homes while the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.4) Regulations 2020 are in force. They also prevent enforcement agents from enforcing evictions (other than in limited circumstances) until 11 January.

The Guidance was issued by the Lord Chancellor pursuant to his functions, duties and powers in relation to the civil justice system, including his general duty under section 1 of the Courts Act 2003 to ensure that there is an efficient and effective system to carry on the business of the High Court and the county court, and his common law powers under the Ram doctrine.

On 16 November the Government laid the Public Health (Coronavirus) (Protection from Eviction and Taking Control of Goods) (England) Regulations 2020. From 17 November, the regulations prevent enforcement agents taking control of goods inside homes while the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.4) Regulations 2020 are in force. They also prevent enforcement agents from enforcing evictions (other than in limited circumstances) until 11 January.

CREST Advisory’s report highlighted the challenges of running the criminal courts during COVID where the need to maintain social distancing has limited the courts abilities to use court capacity. However, the modelling carried out of the criminal courts by CREST Advisory, represented an extreme scenario showing vast rises in charging of crimes which do not bear reasonable scrutiny. They also fail to take account of our extensive efforts to limit the impact of the pandemic on the justice system. As a result of these measures, magistrates’ courts are completing more cases than they are receiving and are tackling the number of outstanding cases. We’ve installed Perspex into more than 300 rooms to significantly increase volumes in the Crown Court and there are now over 250 rooms safely open for jury trials.

My department will next week publish updated projections of the prison population as National Statistics which will show how we expect demand for prisons places to change in coming years.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,130 firms which hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,466 firms which hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 2 November 2020.

Information on legal aid expenditure is published in the Legal Aid Agency’s National Statistics, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/legal-aid-statistics. At the time of writing, the most recent period for which data has been published covers up to and including March 2020; pre-publication laws preclude us from releasing figures for subsequent months at this time. Figures are also available under the closed claim expenditure measure in the same release with data up to June 2020 available. This provides only the total value of payments made to legal aid providers in relation to pieces of work that are completed in the period, and which could cover wide time periods, but does not include income received or expenditure in relation to debt write-offs.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Earlier this year we announced an independent review to look at the sustainability of the legal aid market and have introduced changes to inject up £51m per year.

We are committed to ensuring our courts are accessible to all our users and we aim to list cases at suitable venues when there are access needs. We are unable to provide information on the number of courts that are accessible for disabled users in the time allocated.

HMCTS will provide reasonable adjustments for court and tribunal users with disabilities and takes steps to avoid treating people less favourably because of their disability. Court and tribunal users are encouraged to get in touch before a hearing to discuss any particular adjustments they may need. Various mitigations will be explored, depending on the support required. For buildings, adjustments may include use of video-conferencing from a remote site, ensuring venues have ramps or accessible toilets, lifts able to accommodate wheelchairs, or hearing loops.

The modernisation and investment taking place across the justice system will mean that fewer people will need to attend court, as we make use of technology such as video-conferencing and online services. We have rapidly expanded our audio and video technology capability in direct response to the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19), enabling more remote hearings which reduce the need for people to attend a physical court building.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,130 firms which hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,466 firms which hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 2 November 2020.

Information on legal aid expenditure is published in the Legal Aid Agency’s National Statistics, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/legal-aid-statistics. At the time of writing, the most recent period for which data has been published covers up to and including March 2020; pre-publication laws preclude us from releasing figures for subsequent months at this time. Figures are also available under the closed claim expenditure measure in the same release with data up to June 2020 available. This provides only the total value of payments made to legal aid providers in relation to pieces of work that are completed in the period, and which could cover wide time periods, but does not include income received or expenditure in relation to debt write-offs.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Earlier this year we announced an independent review to look at the sustainability of the legal aid market and have introduced changes to inject up £51m per year.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,130 firms which hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,466 firms which hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 2 November 2020.

Information on legal aid expenditure is published in the Legal Aid Agency’s National Statistics, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/legal-aid-statistics. At the time of writing, the most recent period for which data has been published covers up to and including March 2020; pre-publication laws preclude us from releasing figures for subsequent months at this time. Figures are also available under the closed claim expenditure measure in the same release with data up to June 2020 available. This provides only the total value of payments made to legal aid providers in relation to pieces of work that are completed in the period, and which could cover wide time periods, but does not include income received or expenditure in relation to debt write-offs.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Earlier this year we announced an independent review to look at the sustainability of the legal aid market and have introduced changes to inject up £51m per year.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,130 firms which hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,466 firms which hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 2 November 2020.

Information on legal aid expenditure is published in the Legal Aid Agency’s National Statistics, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/legal-aid-statistics. At the time of writing, the most recent period for which data has been published covers up to and including March 2020; pre-publication laws preclude us from releasing figures for subsequent months at this time. Figures are also available under the closed claim expenditure measure in the same release with data up to June 2020 available. This provides only the total value of payments made to legal aid providers in relation to pieces of work that are completed in the period, and which could cover wide time periods, but does not include income received or expenditure in relation to debt write-offs.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Earlier this year we announced an independent review to look at the sustainability of the legal aid market and have introduced changes to inject up £51m per year.

The Government is clear that enforcement activity must be conducted safely and in accordance with the public health measures in place to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Currently, enforcement agents should not enter residential properties in areas that are classified as Local Alert Level 2 (high) or 3 (very high), for the purposes of enforcement. This position has been set out in HMCTS operational guidance for County Court bailiffs and by the Lord Chancellor in correspondence to the enforcement trade associations. The Government is keeping the approach under review.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,136 firms who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,471 firms who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 7 October 2020.

The Legal Aid Agency tracks the number of contracted providers, not the number of individual practitioners who work in either criminal or civil law.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Earlier this year we announced an independent review to look at the sustainability of the legal aid market and have introduced changes to inject up £51m per year.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,136 firms who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,471 firms who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 7 October 2020.

The Legal Aid Agency tracks the number of contracted providers, not the number of individual practitioners who work in either criminal or civil law.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Earlier this year we announced an independent review to look at the sustainability of the legal aid market and have introduced changes to inject up £51m per year.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,136 firms who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,471 firms who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 7 October 2020.

The Legal Aid Agency tracks the number of contracted providers, not the number of individual practitioners who work in either criminal or civil law.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Earlier this year we announced an independent review to look at the sustainability of the legal aid market and have introduced changes to inject up £51m per year.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,136 firms who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,471 firms who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 7 October 2020.

The Legal Aid Agency tracks the number of contracted providers, not the number of individual practitioners who work in either criminal or civil law.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Earlier this year we announced an independent review to look at the sustainability of the legal aid market and have introduced changes to inject up £51m per year.

At present, 17% of all crime accounts are paid under the Standard Monthly Payment (‘SMP’) model. The remainder have opted for Variable Monthly Payments, which pays the actual value of the claim submitted each month. Firms can elect to be paid by either model, according to which may be most advantageous to them. SMPs relate to Controlled Work services only, and therefore reflect a proportion of a provider’s total revenue.

The number of those accounts paid via SMP which have seen a reduction in payments since July 2020 represents 6% of all crime accounts. Where a reduction is necessary, this takes effect following the Legal Aid Agency notifying providers of this in advance. Firms facing financial hardship can discuss payment options further with their LAA Contract Manager.

The LAA has implemented several changes to maintain cashflow to firms and to allow firms to be paid more quickly – through these changes we can inject up to £51 million per year into criminal legal aid. We have begun a review into how criminal lawyers are compensated for their work: https://consult.justice.gov.uk/criminal-legal-aid/criminal-legal-aid-review/.

In addition to the support schemes offered by the government, we have continued to pay providers on time and introduced a number of measures to speed up payments to providers. All of the measures taken by the LAA are set out on our gov.uk page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-legal-aid-agency-contingency-response#financial-relief-page.

The proportion of hearings in the criminal courts, that have taken place virtually and physically is shown in the HMCTS data below:

Initially the Sit Rep report did not fully capture all potential hearing types. As a result the option of “other” was included and predominantly reflects “paper trials”

Criminal defence lawyers play a crucial role in upholding the rule of law and the Government greatly values the work they do.

To support the profession through the Covid-19 pandemic, we sought to improve the cashflow for the profession and provide support for legal aid practitioners. The changes made ensured that for work done in the Crown Court, practitioners were able to claim hardship payments for £450 worth of work done instead of £5,000, from 1 month after instruction (as opposed to 6 months). The LAA have also halted debt collection and increased the limits for payments on account claims.

The Crown Court resumed jury trials in May with the full support of Public Health England and Public Health Wales. This was ahead of all other comparable systems. Since then we have significantly expanded our capacity, opening more than 100 jury trial courtrooms safely. The Court Recovery plan, published on Monday 7 September, outlines the steps we will take to open 250 rooms by the end of October.

More recently, we announced in August that we would be taking forward the policy proposals from the accelerate areas of the Criminal Legal Aid Review (CLAR) that practitioners told us mattered most. These areas were:?unused material, cracked trials, paper-heavy cases, sending cases to the Crown Court, and?pre-charge engagement. These policies allowed us to inject between £36million to £51million into criminal legal aid.

As the pandemic has thrown into sharp focus the concerns about the sustainability of the market, in announcing the conclusions to the accelerated areas we also announced that the next phase of CLAR should involve an independently-led review. This review will be ambitious and far reaching in scope, assessing the criminal legal aid system in its entirety, and will aim to improve transparency, efficiency, sustainability and outcomes in the legal aid market.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,138 firms who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,478 firms who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 7 September 2020.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,138 firms who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,478 firms who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 7 September 2020.

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

There are currently no plans to legislate to reduce the statutory minimum number of jurors. Were the Ministry to propose any legislation we would provide full details of any sunset clause.

HMCTS has published a Court Recovery Plan which summarises the measures that are being taken. The Court Recovery Plan can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-and-tribunal-recovery-update-in-response-to-coronavirus Jury trials have safely resumed in most Crown Courts and we have announced a number of Nightingale Courts which will further support recovery.

There are currently no plans to legislate to reduce the statutory minimum number of jurors. Were the Ministry to propose any legislation we would provide full details of any sunset clause.

HMCTS has published a Court Recovery Plan which summarises the measures that are being taken. The Court Recovery Plan can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-and-tribunal-recovery-update-in-response-to-coronavirus Jury trials have safely resumed in most Crown Courts and we have announced a number of Nightingale Courts which will further support recovery.

There are currently no plans to legislate to reduce the statutory minimum number of jurors. Were the Ministry to propose any legislation we would provide full details of any sunset clause.

HMCTS has published a Court Recovery Plan which summarises the measures that are being taken. The Court Recovery Plan can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-and-tribunal-recovery-update-in-response-to-coronavirus Jury trials have safely resumed in most Crown Courts and we have announced a number of Nightingale Courts which will further support recovery.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

COVID-19 has been an unprecedented challenge for the criminal justice system, but we have kept courts open and cases flowing through the system throughout. The UK has been a global leader and we are ahead of comparable systems.

HMCTS has now published a Court Recovery Plan, which sets out that court operating hours will be extended, alternative venues will be used as courts to increase capacity and the use of the Cloud Video Platform (CVP) will be rolled out into all Magistrates’ and Crown Courts. Further measures to increase jury trial capacity are also being explored. The Court Recovery Plan can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-and-tribunal-recovery-update-in-response-to-coronavirus

Public confidence requires cases to be dealt with in a timely manner and the backlog must be addressed. This goal will require ambition from the whole system. We have recently announced a record investment in court infrastructure and maintenance. We’re recruiting more court staff and we will shortly be making an announcement on use of additional court centres.

The Flexible Operating Hours pilots took place at Manchester Civil Justice Centre and the County Court at Brentford from September 2019 to March 2020. Local Implementation Teams, which include legal representatives and local support groups, were set up in Manchester and Brentford to plan and deliver the pilots. To support a cross-justice system approach to the evaluation of the pilots HMCTS set up an Evaluation Advisory Group which includes representatives from the judiciary, partner government agencies, the Bar Council, the Bar Standards Board, the Law Society and CILEx.

HMCTS has appointed a consortium of IFF Research and Frontier Economics to carry out an independent evaluation of the Flexible Operating Hours pilots. The evaluation is being conducted as set out in the evaluation plan, published July 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexible-operating-hours-evaluation-plan-and-summary. The evaluation report will be published following completion, in the autumn and we will consider its findings carefully.

Proposals to extend court operating hours are being considered as part of the HMCTS recovery plan. Working groups under the leadership of judiciary have been established to develop these proposals which include members of the legal profession across the jurisdictions.

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service currently does not calculate the average cost to process each defendant in the crown court.

Historically costs have been calculated around such metrics as the unit cost of a sitting day in the crown court, but we are unable to calculate the average cost of processing a defendant in the crown court.

Criminal cases may be multi handed resulting in multiple defendants in one trial. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has been working over the last 12 months to establish a variety of key financial metrics around the unit costs associated with various volumetrics.

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service currently does not calculate the average cost to process each defendant in the magistrates’ court.

Historically costs have been calculated around such metrics as the unit cost of a sitting day in the magistrates’ court. We are unable to calculate the average cost of processing a defendant in the magistrates’ court. Magistrates operate several sessions across a sitting day, which may be multi handed resulting in multiple defendants in one trial.

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has been working over the last 12 months to establish a variety of key financial metrics around the unit cost associated with various volumetrics.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than one office. There are currently 1,146 firms holding a criminal legal aid contract, and this equates to 1,694 offices. This data is correct as at 2 July 2020.

MoJ officials including representatives from the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) and Home Office officials have been in contact on a regular basis since the review into “Release under investigation” (RUI) was announced in November 2019.

Following COVID-19, the consultation deadline was extended to end of May 2020. The consultation has now closed, with over 1000 responses received.

The 2017 Bail Act changes introduced a presumption against bail, with police forces increasingly using ‘Release Under Investigation’ (RUI) powers. In those cases where bail is considered appropriate, police forces must apply to a Magistrate to extend pre-charge bail beyond 3 months.

In response to these changes, the LAA made amendments to the 2017 Standard Crime Contract to ensure that legal aid funding is available for defendants in these new Magistrates’ Court proceedings. The LAA also amended legal aid contracts to allow providers to submit a claim for payment within one month of being notified of an ‘RUI’. That claim can be reopened at a later date if the police investigation continues and further work is done.

This amendment was in response to concern from defence practitioner bodies that any delays in investigations could delay the point at which they can apply for payment for work done on legal aid cases.

All amendments to the legal aid contract were undertaken in consultation with the Law Society and other representative bodies.

Firms can elect to be paid by either Standard or Variable Monthly Payments, according to which model may be most advantageous to them. The MoJ continues to review the potential impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on legal aid providers and to consider what more might be done to support them. The Legal Aid Agency has published the details of the current options for financial relief available to providers during the COVID-19 outbreak at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-relief-for-legal-aid-practitioners.

The number of active housing legal aid providers is published by the Legal Aid Agency online, and has remained largely static since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. The outbreak has affected the volume of work available to housing legal aid firms, and we are closely monitoring this impact.

At present housing advice is available at 434 offices in England and Wales. The volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to market forces and other factors. From March to the present date, 7 offices in total have ceased to provide housing services, due to reasons not specifically associated with the effects of COVID-19.

The Ministry of Justice held a consultation on increasing the number of requests for payment on account that may be made per year. The consultation closed on 16 June 2020, and the limit will be increased from two to four permissible within a twelve-month period. This will be implemented once the necessary updates to infrastructure are completed, and the impact of this change will be kept under review.

Firms can elect to be paid by either Standard or Variable Monthly Payments, according to which model may be most advantageous to them. The MoJ continues to review the potential impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on legal aid providers and to consider what more might be done to support them. The Legal Aid Agency has published the details of the current options for financial relief available to providers during the COVID-19 outbreak at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-relief-for-legal-aid-practitioners.

The number of active housing legal aid providers is published by the Legal Aid Agency online, and has remained largely static since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. The outbreak has affected the volume of work available to housing legal aid firms, and we are closely monitoring this impact.

At present housing advice is available at 434 offices in England and Wales. The volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to market forces and other factors. From March to the present date, 7 offices in total have ceased to provide housing services, due to reasons not specifically associated with the effects of COVID-19.

The Ministry of Justice held a consultation on increasing the number of requests for payment on account that may be made per year. The consultation closed on 16 June 2020, and the limit will be increased from two to four permissible within a twelve-month period. This will be implemented once the necessary updates to infrastructure are completed, and the impact of this change will be kept under review.

Firms can elect to be paid by either Standard or Variable Monthly Payments, according to which model may be most advantageous to them. The MoJ continues to review the potential impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on legal aid providers and to consider what more might be done to support them. The Legal Aid Agency has published the details of the current options for financial relief available to providers during the COVID-19 outbreak at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-relief-for-legal-aid-practitioners.

The number of active housing legal aid providers is published by the Legal Aid Agency online, and has remained largely static since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. The outbreak has affected the volume of work available to housing legal aid firms, and we are closely monitoring this impact.

At present housing advice is available at 434 offices in England and Wales. The volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to market forces and other factors. From March to the present date, 7 offices in total have ceased to provide housing services, due to reasons not specifically associated with the effects of COVID-19.

The Ministry of Justice held a consultation on increasing the number of requests for payment on account that may be made per year. The consultation closed on 16 June 2020, and the limit will be increased from two to four permissible within a twelve-month period. This will be implemented once the necessary updates to infrastructure are completed, and the impact of this change will be kept under review.

The most recent statistics published for the Legal Aid Agency cover up to and including March 2020. Figures for quarters of the 2020/21 financial year are scheduled for future release, and as such payment data for part (a) of question 62405 cannot yet be provided. The figures for part (b) of the question are displayed below, matching the equivalent period of April, May and June inclusive for each financial year:

The figure of £100m referred to by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State was based upon estimates produced by the Ministry of Justice relating to unbilled work for completed cases. The breakdown of the estimates is as follows:

• Criminal Legal Aid in relation to representation in the Crown Court and Higher Courts

- £130m

• Civil Legal Aid in relation to representation in the civil and family courts

- £80m

All of the above estimates of unbilled work pertain to the position as at 31^st March 2020.

As at 31^st March 2020, the estimate produced by the Ministry of Justice of the amounts available for legal aid providers to claim in relation to unbilled work on completed matters were –

• Criminal Legal Aid in relation to representation in the Crown Court and Higher Courts

- £130m

• Civil Legal Aid in relation to representation in the civil and family courts

- £80m

As at 31^st March 2020, the estimate produced by the Ministry of Justice of the amount available for legal aid providers to claim in relation to payment on account for civil matters pertaining to representation in the civil and family courts was £165m.

The most recent statistics published for the Legal Aid Agency cover up to and including March 2020. Figures for quarters of the 2020/21 financial year are scheduled for future release, and as such payment data for part (a) of question 62405 cannot yet be provided. The figures for part (b) of the question are displayed below, matching the equivalent period of April, May and June inclusive for each financial year:

The figure of £100m referred to by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State was based upon estimates produced by the Ministry of Justice relating to unbilled work for completed cases. The breakdown of the estimates is as follows:

• Criminal Legal Aid in relation to representation in the Crown Court and Higher Courts

- £130m

• Civil Legal Aid in relation to representation in the civil and family courts

- £80m

All of the above estimates of unbilled work pertain to the position as at 31^st March 2020.

As at 31^st March 2020, the estimate produced by the Ministry of Justice of the amounts available for legal aid providers to claim in relation to unbilled work on completed matters were –

• Criminal Legal Aid in relation to representation in the Crown Court and Higher Courts

- £130m

• Civil Legal Aid in relation to representation in the civil and family courts

- £80m

As at 31^st March 2020, the estimate produced by the Ministry of Justice of the amount available for legal aid providers to claim in relation to payment on account for civil matters pertaining to representation in the civil and family courts was £165m.

The most recent statistics published for the Legal Aid Agency cover up to and including March 2020. Figures for quarters of the 2020/21 financial year are scheduled for future release, and as such payment data for part (a) of question 62405 cannot yet be provided. The figures for part (b) of the question are displayed below, matching the equivalent period of April, May and June inclusive for each financial year:

The figure of £100m referred to by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State was based upon estimates produced by the Ministry of Justice relating to unbilled work for completed cases. The breakdown of the estimates is as follows:

• Criminal Legal Aid in relation to representation in the Crown Court and Higher Courts

- £130m

• Civil Legal Aid in relation to representation in the civil and family courts

- £80m

All of the above estimates of unbilled work pertain to the position as at 31^st March 2020.

As at 31^st March 2020, the estimate produced by the Ministry of Justice of the amounts available for legal aid providers to claim in relation to unbilled work on completed matters were –

• Criminal Legal Aid in relation to representation in the Crown Court and Higher Courts

- £130m

• Civil Legal Aid in relation to representation in the civil and family courts

- £80m

As at 31^st March 2020, the estimate produced by the Ministry of Justice of the amount available for legal aid providers to claim in relation to payment on account for civil matters pertaining to representation in the civil and family courts was £165m.

*Please note: The figures for the year 2019-20 covers only the months April to December 2019.

Expenditure on police station advice is published as part of Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics. This data can be viewed by accessing Column ‘L’ of the table 2.2 at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2019

The number of claims received by the Legal Aid agency for police station attendances is also published in the Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics at table 2.1, please note that the number of claims for ‘attendances’ can be found at Column C. These are a specific subset of total claims for all types of police station advice which can be found at Column L of the same table

This information is not held by the Ministry of Justice because the Legal Aid Agency does not record this type of information about Legal Aid Providers.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than 1 office. There are currently 1,147 firms holding a criminal legal aid contract, and this equates to 1,697 offices. This data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

Please note ‘New firms’ may be the result of mergers and acquisitions outside of the tender process. Firms may have withdrawn and then re-entered into new contract later. This data has been provided on yearly basis as the data is too granular to provide month on month changes - the year end position has been shown for active firms/offices. There were formal tenders in 2010 and 2017, hence the larger numbers. In 2015/16 after the competitive tender was set aside new firms that had been successful in their bid for an own client contract were allowed to deliver services. The data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

As at 1 June 2020 we have 4455 duty solicitors listed on our database allocated slots for the current rota period. The LAA publishes the duty solicitor rotas here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/duty-solicitors-rotas-information-and-guidance#duty-solicitor-rotas-1st-april-2020-to-september-30-2020---first-publication

There are 2063 reps which includes probationary and accredited on the current list and it is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-crime-contract-2017

We are aware that the Covid19 restrictions have had an impact on the volume of work conducted by Legal Aid providers. The LAA have been in contact with providers to assess the impact on their businesses. Many have reported taking advantage of the schemes made available by HMT and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

Expenditure on police station advice is published as part of Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics. This data can be viewed by accessing Column ‘L’ of the table 2.2 at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2019

The number of claims received by the Legal Aid agency for police station attendances is also published in the Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics at table 2.1, please note that the number of claims for ‘attendances’ can be found at Column C. These are a specific subset of total claims for all types of police station advice which can be found at Column L of the same table

This information is not held by the Ministry of Justice because the Legal Aid Agency does not record this type of information about Legal Aid Providers.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than 1 office. There are currently 1,147 firms holding a criminal legal aid contract, and this equates to 1,697 offices. This data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

Please note ‘New firms’ may be the result of mergers and acquisitions outside of the tender process. Firms may have withdrawn and then re-entered into new contract later. This data has been provided on yearly basis as the data is too granular to provide month on month changes - the year end position has been shown for active firms/offices. There were formal tenders in 2010 and 2017, hence the larger numbers. In 2015/16 after the competitive tender was set aside new firms that had been successful in their bid for an own client contract were allowed to deliver services. The data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

As at 1 June 2020 we have 4455 duty solicitors listed on our database allocated slots for the current rota period. The LAA publishes the duty solicitor rotas here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/duty-solicitors-rotas-information-and-guidance#duty-solicitor-rotas-1st-april-2020-to-september-30-2020---first-publication

There are 2063 reps which includes probationary and accredited on the current list and it is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-crime-contract-2017

We are aware that the Covid19 restrictions have had an impact on the volume of work conducted by Legal Aid providers. The LAA have been in contact with providers to assess the impact on their businesses. Many have reported taking advantage of the schemes made available by HMT and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

Expenditure on police station advice is published as part of Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics. This data can be viewed by accessing Column ‘L’ of the table 2.2 at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2019

The number of claims received by the Legal Aid agency for police station attendances is also published in the Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics at table 2.1, please note that the number of claims for ‘attendances’ can be found at Column C. These are a specific subset of total claims for all types of police station advice which can be found at Column L of the same table

This information is not held by the Ministry of Justice because the Legal Aid Agency does not record this type of information about Legal Aid Providers.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than 1 office. There are currently 1,147 firms holding a criminal legal aid contract, and this equates to 1,697 offices. This data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

Please note ‘New firms’ may be the result of mergers and acquisitions outside of the tender process. Firms may have withdrawn and then re-entered into new contract later. This data has been provided on yearly basis as the data is too granular to provide month on month changes - the year end position has been shown for active firms/offices. There were formal tenders in 2010 and 2017, hence the larger numbers. In 2015/16 after the competitive tender was set aside new firms that had been successful in their bid for an own client contract were allowed to deliver services. The data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

As at 1 June 2020 we have 4455 duty solicitors listed on our database allocated slots for the current rota period. The LAA publishes the duty solicitor rotas here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/duty-solicitors-rotas-information-and-guidance#duty-solicitor-rotas-1st-april-2020-to-september-30-2020---first-publication

There are 2063 reps which includes probationary and accredited on the current list and it is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-crime-contract-2017

We are aware that the Covid19 restrictions have had an impact on the volume of work conducted by Legal Aid providers. The LAA have been in contact with providers to assess the impact on their businesses. Many have reported taking advantage of the schemes made available by HMT and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

Expenditure on police station advice is published as part of Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics. This data can be viewed by accessing Column ‘L’ of the table 2.2 at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2019

The number of claims received by the Legal Aid agency for police station attendances is also published in the Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics at table 2.1, please note that the number of claims for ‘attendances’ can be found at Column C. These are a specific subset of total claims for all types of police station advice which can be found at Column L of the same table

This information is not held by the Ministry of Justice because the Legal Aid Agency does not record this type of information about Legal Aid Providers.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than 1 office. There are currently 1,147 firms holding a criminal legal aid contract, and this equates to 1,697 offices. This data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

Please note ‘New firms’ may be the result of mergers and acquisitions outside of the tender process. Firms may have withdrawn and then re-entered into new contract later. This data has been provided on yearly basis as the data is too granular to provide month on month changes - the year end position has been shown for active firms/offices. There were formal tenders in 2010 and 2017, hence the larger numbers. In 2015/16 after the competitive tender was set aside new firms that had been successful in their bid for an own client contract were allowed to deliver services. The data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

As at 1 June 2020 we have 4455 duty solicitors listed on our database allocated slots for the current rota period. The LAA publishes the duty solicitor rotas here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/duty-solicitors-rotas-information-and-guidance#duty-solicitor-rotas-1st-april-2020-to-september-30-2020---first-publication

There are 2063 reps which includes probationary and accredited on the current list and it is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-crime-contract-2017

We are aware that the Covid19 restrictions have had an impact on the volume of work conducted by Legal Aid providers. The LAA have been in contact with providers to assess the impact on their businesses. Many have reported taking advantage of the schemes made available by HMT and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

Expenditure on police station advice is published as part of Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics. This data can be viewed by accessing Column ‘L’ of the table 2.2 at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2019

The number of claims received by the Legal Aid agency for police station attendances is also published in the Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics at table 2.1, please note that the number of claims for ‘attendances’ can be found at Column C. These are a specific subset of total claims for all types of police station advice which can be found at Column L of the same table

This information is not held by the Ministry of Justice because the Legal Aid Agency does not record this type of information about Legal Aid Providers.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than 1 office. There are currently 1,147 firms holding a criminal legal aid contract, and this equates to 1,697 offices. This data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

Please note ‘New firms’ may be the result of mergers and acquisitions outside of the tender process. Firms may have withdrawn and then re-entered into new contract later. This data has been provided on yearly basis as the data is too granular to provide month on month changes - the year end position has been shown for active firms/offices. There were formal tenders in 2010 and 2017, hence the larger numbers. In 2015/16 after the competitive tender was set aside new firms that had been successful in their bid for an own client contract were allowed to deliver services. The data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

As at 1 June 2020 we have 4455 duty solicitors listed on our database allocated slots for the current rota period. The LAA publishes the duty solicitor rotas here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/duty-solicitors-rotas-information-and-guidance#duty-solicitor-rotas-1st-april-2020-to-september-30-2020---first-publication

There are 2063 reps which includes probationary and accredited on the current list and it is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-crime-contract-2017

We are aware that the Covid19 restrictions have had an impact on the volume of work conducted by Legal Aid providers. The LAA have been in contact with providers to assess the impact on their businesses. Many have reported taking advantage of the schemes made available by HMT and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

Expenditure on police station advice is published as part of Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics. This data can be viewed by accessing Column ‘L’ of the table 2.2 at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2019

The number of claims received by the Legal Aid agency for police station attendances is also published in the Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics at table 2.1, please note that the number of claims for ‘attendances’ can be found at Column C. These are a specific subset of total claims for all types of police station advice which can be found at Column L of the same table

This information is not held by the Ministry of Justice because the Legal Aid Agency does not record this type of information about Legal Aid Providers.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than 1 office. There are currently 1,147 firms holding a criminal legal aid contract, and this equates to 1,697 offices. This data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

Please note ‘New firms’ may be the result of mergers and acquisitions outside of the tender process. Firms may have withdrawn and then re-entered into new contract later. This data has been provided on yearly basis as the data is too granular to provide month on month changes - the year end position has been shown for active firms/offices. There were formal tenders in 2010 and 2017, hence the larger numbers. In 2015/16 after the competitive tender was set aside new firms that had been successful in their bid for an own client contract were allowed to deliver services. The data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

As at 1 June 2020 we have 4455 duty solicitors listed on our database allocated slots for the current rota period. The LAA publishes the duty solicitor rotas here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/duty-solicitors-rotas-information-and-guidance#duty-solicitor-rotas-1st-april-2020-to-september-30-2020---first-publication

There are 2063 reps which includes probationary and accredited on the current list and it is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-crime-contract-2017

We are aware that the Covid19 restrictions have had an impact on the volume of work conducted by Legal Aid providers. The LAA have been in contact with providers to assess the impact on their businesses. Many have reported taking advantage of the schemes made available by HMT and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

Expenditure on police station advice is published as part of Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics. This data can be viewed by accessing Column ‘L’ of the table 2.2 at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2019

The number of claims received by the Legal Aid agency for police station attendances is also published in the Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics at table 2.1, please note that the number of claims for ‘attendances’ can be found at Column C. These are a specific subset of total claims for all types of police station advice which can be found at Column L of the same table

This information is not held by the Ministry of Justice because the Legal Aid Agency does not record this type of information about Legal Aid Providers.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than 1 office. There are currently 1,147 firms holding a criminal legal aid contract, and this equates to 1,697 offices. This data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

Please note ‘New firms’ may be the result of mergers and acquisitions outside of the tender process. Firms may have withdrawn and then re-entered into new contract later. This data has been provided on yearly basis as the data is too granular to provide month on month changes - the year end position has been shown for active firms/offices. There were formal tenders in 2010 and 2017, hence the larger numbers. In 2015/16 after the competitive tender was set aside new firms that had been successful in their bid for an own client contract were allowed to deliver services. The data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

As at 1 June 2020 we have 4455 duty solicitors listed on our database allocated slots for the current rota period. The LAA publishes the duty solicitor rotas here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/duty-solicitors-rotas-information-and-guidance#duty-solicitor-rotas-1st-april-2020-to-september-30-2020---first-publication

There are 2063 reps which includes probationary and accredited on the current list and it is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-crime-contract-2017

We are aware that the Covid19 restrictions have had an impact on the volume of work conducted by Legal Aid providers. The LAA have been in contact with providers to assess the impact on their businesses. Many have reported taking advantage of the schemes made available by HMT and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

Expenditure on police station advice is published as part of Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics. This data can be viewed by accessing Column ‘L’ of the table 2.2 at this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2019

The number of claims received by the Legal Aid agency for police station attendances is also published in the Legal Aid Agency’s Quarterly Statistics at table 2.1, please note that the number of claims for ‘attendances’ can be found at Column C. These are a specific subset of total claims for all types of police station advice which can be found at Column L of the same table

This information is not held by the Ministry of Justice because the Legal Aid Agency does not record this type of information about Legal Aid Providers.

Please note for the figures provided that some firms may have more than 1 office. There are currently 1,147 firms holding a criminal legal aid contract, and this equates to 1,697 offices. This data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

Please note ‘New firms’ may be the result of mergers and acquisitions outside of the tender process. Firms may have withdrawn and then re-entered into new contract later. This data has been provided on yearly basis as the data is too granular to provide month on month changes - the year end position has been shown for active firms/offices. There were formal tenders in 2010 and 2017, hence the larger numbers. In 2015/16 after the competitive tender was set aside new firms that had been successful in their bid for an own client contract were allowed to deliver services. The data is correct at 3rd June 2020.

As at 1 June 2020 we have 4455 duty solicitors listed on our database allocated slots for the current rota period. The LAA publishes the duty solicitor rotas here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/duty-solicitors-rotas-information-and-guidance#duty-solicitor-rotas-1st-april-2020-to-september-30-2020---first-publication

There are 2063 reps which includes probationary and accredited on the current list and it is published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standard-crime-contract-2017

We are aware that the Covid19 restrictions have had an impact on the volume of work conducted by Legal Aid providers. The LAA have been in contact with providers to assess the impact on their businesses. Many have reported taking advantage of the schemes made available by HMT and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

We have already taken steps to provide emergency support for work completed on paper-based certificates, with contingency measures temporarily in place for payments on account. These special payments on account will not be subject to payment at 75%, nor will they be restricted to two claims in 12 months. Further guidance on these arrangements can be found at https://ccmstraining.justice.gov.uk/training-resources/billing-contingency-measures.

For non-paper-based certificates, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) are reviewing the two claims limit as a matter of urgency.

The LAA is working to ensure it can continue to support the legal aid sector, helping them maintain access to justice for their clients at this time. The LAA has published guidance on the support available to the legal sector including claiming a payment on account, to provide financial assistance for costs incurred by practitioners over the course of a legal aid certificate. This guidance can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-relief-for-legal-aid-practitioners.

Timescales for the payments of civil bills are published at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/civil-processing-dates, and claims are currently being considered within three working days of being received.

The MoJ and LAA continue to review the impact of covid-19 on legal aid practitioners, and ensure that the most vulnerable in society are provided with the representation they need.

Victims of domestic abuse must have access to the help they need - including legal aid, which is subject to a means and merits test. We are working closely with practitioners to understand the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on victims and this week the Government announced funding of £800,000 for a helpline and email service to assist unrepresented victims applying for an emergency protective order from the courts.

The Legal Aid Agency is exercising flexibility with regard to the evidential requirements in relation to the means test to mitigate the effects caused by lockdown measures. This includes suspending the time limits by which applicants are expected to submit the substantive legal aid application with supporting means evidence (such as bank statements) and allowing practitioners to submit applications with electronic signatures from the client.

We recognise that victims of domestic abuse may need legal aid quickly in emergency situations, so there is already an eligibility cap waiver in place, which means that an applicant for a protective injunction may be eligible for legal aid even if they have income or capital above the thresholds in the means test, though they may have to pay a financial contribution towards their legal costs. We are currently conducting a review of the means test, as part of which we are considering the experiences of particular groups of legal aid applicants – including victims of domestic abuse.

Victims of domestic abuse must have access to the help they need - including legal aid, which is subject to a means and merits test. We are working closely with practitioners to understand the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on victims and this week the Government announced funding of £800,000 for a helpline and email service to assist unrepresented victims applying for an emergency protective order from the courts.

The Legal Aid Agency is exercising flexibility with regard to the evidential requirements in relation to the means test to mitigate the effects caused by lockdown measures. This includes suspending the time limits by which applicants are expected to submit the substantive legal aid application with supporting means evidence (such as bank statements) and allowing practitioners to submit applications with electronic signatures from the client.

We recognise that victims of domestic abuse may need legal aid quickly in emergency situations, so there is already an eligibility cap waiver in place, which means that an applicant for a protective injunction may be eligible for legal aid even if they have income or capital above the thresholds in the means test, though they may have to pay a financial contribution towards their legal costs. We are currently conducting a review of the means test, as part of which we are considering the experiences of particular groups of legal aid applicants – including victims of domestic abuse.

The LAA is working to ensure it can continue to support the legal support sector, helping them maintain access to justice to their vulnerable clients. Details of what financial relief may be available for practitioners facing cashflow problems can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-relief-for-legal-aid-practitioners.

Timescales for the payments of civil bills are published at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/civil-processing-dates, and claims are currently being considered within three working days of being received. Providers may request payment ‘on account’ where necessary, subject to any applicable conditions set out in the relevant contract/regulations, to put them in funds while the billing assessment process is completed.

The LAA continues to review what more might be done to ease both immediate liquidity concerns, and also to consider the potential impacts of any future losses of income on providers.

Victims of domestic abuse must have access to the help they need - including legal aid, which is subject to a means and merits test. We are working closely with practitioners to understand the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on victims and this week the Government announced funding of £800,000 for a helpline and email service to assist unrepresented victims applying for an emergency protective order from the courts.

The Legal Aid Agency is exercising flexibility with regard to the evidential requirements in relation to the means test to mitigate the effects caused by lockdown measures. This includes suspending the time limits by which applicants are expected to submit the substantive legal aid application with supporting means evidence (such as bank statements) and allowing practitioners to submit applications with electronic signatures from the client.

We recognise that victims of domestic abuse may need legal aid quickly in emergency situations, so there is already an eligibility cap waiver in place, which means that an applicant for a protective injunction may be eligible for legal aid even if they have income or capital above the thresholds in the means test, though they may have to pay a financial contribution towards their legal costs. We are currently conducting a review of the means test, as part of which we are considering the experiences of particular groups of legal aid applicants – including victims of domestic abuse.