Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take in response to data published by the Law Society in April, which shows a growing shortage of criminal law solicitors.

Last year £860 million was spent on criminal legal aid so that those who most need legal support are able to get it.

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 engagement phase of the post-implementation review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 has begun. We are gathering evidence from the legal professions to inform our analysis of the effects of the changes made by and under LASPO and how we can best move forward given the changes to the justice system since 2012.