Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of litigants in person who will access the new funding for the Litigants in Person Support Strategy in the next two years.

The Litigants in Person Support Strategy (LIPSS) works with a range of partners across the advice, voluntary and pro bono sectors to provide information and practical support for litigants in person. This includes providing online and self-help resources, as well as access to free or affordable legal advice and representation, where possible. It does not provide funding to litigants in person directly.

The Ministry of Justice is continuing to work with the LIPSS to ensure the additional funding committed to in the Legal Support Action Plan supports as many litigants in person as possible. Since 2014-15, the Ministry of Justice has invested more than £6 million of funding to support litigants in person in the civil and family courts through the LIPSS. An initial investment of £414,535 was provided in 2014-15 for the launch of the LIPSS, and since then has maintained funding at £1.45 million per financial year. As outlined in the Legal Support Action Plan, this funding will be doubled to £3 million per annum for the next two years.

The Ministry of Justice is working with HM Treasury to ensure the funding committed through the Legal Support Action plan is a priority for the Department.