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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 22 Nov 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"16. Whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the steps taken by his Department to implement the recommendations of the independent review of criminal legal aid. [R] ..."
Karl Turner - View Speech

View all Karl Turner (Lab - Kingston upon Hull East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 22 Nov 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"Well before the Criminal Bar Association took action to strike, I warned the Lord Chancellor that that was inevitable unless he sat down with the association and worked constructively. He accused me of being its shop steward. Now, criminal defence solicitors’ firms are on their knees. The Justice Secretary is …..."
Karl Turner - View Speech

View all Karl Turner (Lab - Kingston upon Hull East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 22 Nov 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"T7. In 2010, there were 1,861 firms of criminal solicitors with duty contracts; there are now 964. The profession of criminal defence solicitor is broken and so is the justice system. Who does the Lord Chancellor think broke the system? [R]..."
Karl Turner - View Speech

View all Karl Turner (Lab - Kingston upon Hull East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 22 Nov 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"Those are numbers and facts...."
Karl Turner - View Speech

View all Karl Turner (Lab - Kingston upon Hull East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 05 Jul 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"I am afraid to tell the Minister that victims of crime are being further let down by the Government’s terrible handling of the Criminal Bar Association dispute. I know that a Minister has now finally agreed to meet the Bar Council and the Criminal Bar Association, and I think that …..."
Karl Turner - View Speech

View all Karl Turner (Lab - Kingston upon Hull East) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Written Question
Criminal Proceedings: Legal Aid Scheme
Wednesday 25th May 2022

Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal legal aid firms have been added to the Legal Aid Agency’s list of providers willing to accept instructions for advocacy services at different locations since 11 April 2022; and what data his Department holds on number of trials in the Crown Court that have been adjourned or postponed due to the unavailability of a defence advocate.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence

At the point the Crown Court Representation Helpline was launched on 20 April, there were 19 contacts registered. The helpline does not require higher court advocates to be registered individually. Therefore, some of the registered contacts may have multiple higher court advocates available to provide advocacy services in the Crown Court. The number of registered contacts is subject to fluctuation.

The Crown Court Representation Helpline is in place to make the process of identifying higher court advocates easier for providers who may be impacted by barristers declining to accept returns in defence cases as part of national Criminal Bar Association disruptive action. Providers are not limited to instructing higher court advocates registered with the helpline. The Public Defender Service may also be able to provide advocacy support where cases have been impacted by the no returns action.

The Department publishes data on volumes and the reasons why trials do not go ahead as part of the Criminal court statistics quarterly. The latest statistics cover the period October to December 2021. In line with the timetable for the publication of official statistics into the public domain we are unable to provide data for more recent months at this time.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 13 Dec 2021
Metropolitan Police: Stephen Port Murders Inquest

"My constituent Sarah Sak, Anthony’s mother, was on holiday in Turkey when the Metropolitan police contacted her to say that her son had been found dead. From that very second, when speaking to me, Sarah has accused the Met of prejudice and throughout all these proceedings she has constantly made …..."
Karl Turner - View Speech

View all Karl Turner (Lab - Kingston upon Hull East) contributions to the debate on: Metropolitan Police: Stephen Port Murders Inquest
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 16 Nov 2021
Prison Officers: Pension Age

"It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Charles. I congratulate the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Gordon Henderson) on securing this incredibly important debate. Hull Prison is in my constituency, and I want to thank the prison officers and other staff who serve our community …..."
Karl Turner - View Speech

View all Karl Turner (Lab - Kingston upon Hull East) contributions to the debate on: Prison Officers: Pension Age
Written Question
Legal Aid Scheme
Thursday 23rd September 2021

Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many legal aid (a) providers and (b) offices were practising in cases of (a) claims against public authorities, (b) community care, (c) discrimination, (d) education, (e) housing and debt, (f) immigration and asylum, (g) family law, (h) clinical negligence, (i) mental health, (j) public law, (k) welfare benefits in each year from September 2012 to September 2021.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence

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.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, broken down by category of law enquired about, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Volume of Providers (firms)

Category of Law

Apr-12

Sep-12

Apr-13

Apr-14

Apr-15

Apr-16

Apr-17

Apr-18

Apr-19

Apr-20

Apr-21

Sep-21

Claims Against the Public Authorities

63

62

58

54

53

65

65

64

80

74

71

70

Community Care

85

84

83

71

91

87

81

76

94

88

83

82

Discrimination

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

17

18

17

Education

24

23

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

8

13

10

Housing and Debt

346

332

368

345

323

305

286

254

295

265

245

238

Immigration Asylum

197

194

239

226

199

182

166

141

203

189

176

172

Immigration Other*

198

195

Family

1,557

1,507

1,352

1,269

1,211

1,160

1,090

1,003

1,029

992

959

937

Clinical Negligence

169

166

166

156

142

107

106

100

100

99

95

93

Mental Health

172

171

168

160

176

169

158

147

156

147

135

135

Public Law

87

85

83

79

74

92

89

84

110

99

95

95

Welfare Benefits

286

274

0

14

15

15

16

14

52

41

38

36

Volume of Offices

Category of Law

Apr-12

Sep-12

Apr-13

Apr-14

Apr-15

Apr-16

Apr-17

Apr-18

Apr-19

Apr-20

Apr-21

Sep-21

Claims Against the Public Authorities

83

82

79

74

72

80

80

78

119

112

104

101

Community Care

140

139

131

115

163

142

136

124

146

137

129

127

Discrimination

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

23

22

21

Education

28

27

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

18

22

19

Housing and Debt

537

524

710

652

606

560

525

475

480

436

407

397

Immigration Asylum

228

224

405

376

323

285

262

229

303

281

263

257

Immigration Other*

229

225

Family

2,328

2,273

2,254

2,134

2,001

1,890

1,732

1,616

1,713

1,654

1,575

1,537

Clinical Negligence

291

285

285

267

248

196

191

180

175

170

164

159

Mental Health

193

192

189

179

200

189

173

161

181

172

159

157

Public Law

111

108

107

101

95

111

108

102

155

141

130

130

Welfare Benefits

364

353

0

13

15

14

15

13

50

39

36

34

*ceased as separate category

Written Question
Legal Aid Scheme: Contracts
Wednesday 22nd September 2021

Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) providers and (b) offices in criminal legal aid there were from September 2012 to September 2021.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence

There are currently 1,080 Providers who hold a Criminal Legal Aid Contract. There are currently 1,401 Providers who hold a Civil Legal Aid Contract. This data is correct as at 17th September 2021. Please note for the figures provided that firms may have more than one office.

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.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Criminal legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, from September 2012 to September 2021:

Apr-12

Sep-12

Apr-13

Apr-14

Apr-15

Apr-16

Apr-17

Apr-18

Apr-19

Apr-20

Apr-21

Sep-21

Firms

1,652

1621

1,595

1,513

1,425

1,386

1,310

1,266

1,194

1,154

1,090

1,080

Offices

2,318

2292

2,258

2,142

2,040

1,969

1,981

1,913

1,802

1,717

1,589

1,565