Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of reinstating legal aid for early advice in respect of housing law.

Legal aid for housing advice in England and Wales is currently available for fundamental issues of homelessness, or where there are disrepairs to the home that seriously threaten the life or health of the individual or their family, subject to means and merits tests.

The Lord Chancellor has confirmed that we shall conduct an evidence-based review of Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), assessing the changes against their objectives. This review will include changes made to provision of legal aid for housing issues.