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 solicitor scheme in England and Wales.

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 duty solicitor coverage on an ongoing basis and where issues are identified, takes action to ensure there is ongoing availability of criminal legal advice for the public.

The Government has also commenced a review of all criminal legal aid fee schemes, including the criminal duty solicitor fee scheme, which will report back by the end of Summer 2020.