Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that there is more than one housing legal aid provider in each legal aid procurement area in (a) England and (b) Wales.
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) reviews the provision of housing advice across England and Wales each quarter with a view to ensuring sufficient capacity in each area. Tenders for legal aid contracts are run in regular cycles, as well as on an ad hoc basis should any accessibility issue be identified in the interim.
The constituency of Dwyfor Meirionydd is located within the LAA’s North West Wales Housing Procurement Area. Shelter Cymru have three contracted offices in this procurement area, from where they deliver Housing advice. The table below shows the number of provider offices which hold a legal aid contract for housing in each procurement area in Wales.
Procurement Area (‘PA’) | Provider | Number of offices in PA |
Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale | DUNCAN LEWIS SOLICITORS LTD | 1 |
Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale | RIVERSIDE ADVICE LTD | 1 |
Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale | WELSH HOUSING AID LTD TA SHELTER CYMRU | 3 |
Central Wales | WELSH HOUSING AID LTD TA SHELTER CYMRU | 3 |
Neath Port Talbot and Swansea | GOLDSTONES SOLICITORS LTD | 1 |
Neath Port Talbot and Swansea | T. A. LAW | 1 |
Neath Port Talbot and Swansea | WELSH HOUSING AID LTD TA SHELTER CYMRU | 3 |
North East Wales | ALLINGTON HUGHES LTD | 1 |
North East Wales | WELSH HOUSING AID LTD TA SHELTER CYMRU | 4 |
North West Wales | WELSH HOUSING AID LTD TA SHELTER CYMRU | 3 |
Rhondda Cynon Taff & Merthyr Tydfil | WELSH HOUSING AID LTD TA SHELTER CYMRU | 3 |
South East Wales | HARDING EVANS LLP | 1 |
South East Wales | WELSH HOUSING AID LTD TA SHELTER CYMRU | 4 |
South West Wales | WELSH HOUSING AID LTD TA SHELTER CYMRU | 3 |