Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Bar Council's recommendation to increase legal aid funding in family law.

This Government recognises the vital role that legal aid plays in supporting individuals in family proceedings to have access to publicly funded legal assistance to uphold their legal rights.

We know that the civil and family legal aid market faces challenges which we are taking action to address. We recently made changes to legislation to ensure that legal aid continues to be available for domestic abuse victims. This includes ensuring legal aid is available for all victims of domestic abuse who can apply for leave to enter or remain in the UK, and to provide comprehensive availability of legal aid in respect to Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders.

We are also conducting a review of the domestic abuse evidence requirements which need to be satisfied in order to access legal aid for private family matters. This is to ensure that they are not a barrier to victims accessing legal aid.

We are also undertaking a programme to transform the delivery of legal aid and the Legal Aid Agency’s systems over this parliament. The Government’s vision is an accessible and trusted legal aid system that works for those who need it, and the providers who deliver it. We are redesigning end-to-end journeys, simplifying processes and replacing legacy technology with modern, flexible solutions.

Last year, the Government spent £854 million on family legal aid, compared to £652 million in 2014/15. We continue to keep family legal aid policy under review.

This Government is also delivering wider improvements to the family justice system. We have committed to rolling out Child Focused Courts nationally in the next three years and are investing £17 million this year to fund the next expansion.