Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 will include an evaluation of its effect on people with (a) mental health problems and (b) other disabilities.

The evidence based review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) has now commenced and the evidence gathering phase is ongoing.

The review will consider how LASPO has targeted legal aid at those who need it most – one of the objectives set out during the passage of the Act. Alongside the review, the Government plans to use this opportunity of engagement with stakeholders to inform its wider consideration on the future of legal support in the justice system.