Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the trends in availability of legal aid housing advice; and if he will make a statement.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) reviews the availability of advice in housing matters on a regular basis so as to identify any areas where action is required to maintain service provision. Recent analysis has shown a slight downward trend in the number of providers offering these services, but the LAA aims to have at least one Housing provider in each Procurement Area, taking into account the issues of both demand and sustainability. Where any gaps are identified, action - such as undertaking ad hoc ‘expression of interest’ processes - is taken in order to address these. A new tender process for all civil legal aid contracts is due to launch shortly, with services under these contracts beginning in autumn 2018.