Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the long term viability of the criminal duty solicitors scheme.

The Government is clear that there are sufficient solicitors to undertake criminal legal aid-funded cases and will make sure this continues to be the case. The Legal Aid Agency monitors capacity across criminal legal aid contracts on a regular basis and takes action to ensure there is ongoing availability of criminal legal advice for the public.

The 2017 tender for crime contracts resulted in a greater number of offices being awarded a criminal legal aid contract, providing sufficient coverage in each local authority area. The Government is also beginning a review of all criminal legal aid fee schemes, including the criminal duty solicitor fee scheme, in January 2019.