Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to help tackle (a) poor pay and (b) high stress among barristers working on sexual violence cases; and what other steps he is taking to help increase the retention of such barristers.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In September 2022, following the conclusion of the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, we uplifted fees for all defence advocates by 15%, which we expect will see a typical criminal barrister earn nearly £7,000 more a year. Fees for prosecution advocates were subject to 15% increase by the CPS in May 2023.
We also increased the fee for advocates who undertake s.28 cases (which provides for a special measure enabling certain vulnerable victims and witnesses to have their cross-examination and re-examination pre-recorded and played at trial) from £670 (exc. VAT) to £1,000 (exc. VAT). The s.28 fees and special and wasted preparation fees brought the overall increase for barrister fees from 15% to 17%.
The CPS recognise that barristers’ wellbeing should be supported and therefore have provided CPS Advocate Panel members dealing with potentially distressing casework access to their Employee Assistance Programme since September 2023.
I am hopeful that our latest funding increase for s.28 cases will help to retain Rape and Serious Sexual Offences barristers and ensure these cases continue to be prioritised. The Lord Chancellor is holding a roundtable on Wednesday 13 March to discuss this issue further.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the retention of specialist counsel for cases involving rape and serious sexual offences.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In September 2022, following the conclusion of the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, we uplifted fees for all defence advocates by 15%, which we expect will see a typical criminal barrister earn nearly £7,000 more a year. Fees for prosecution advocates were subject to 15% increase by the CPS in May 2023.
We also increased the fee for advocates who undertake s.28 cases (which provides for a special measure enabling certain vulnerable victims and witnesses to have their cross-examination and re-examination pre-recorded and played at trial) from £670 (exc. VAT) to £1,000 (exc. VAT). The s.28 fees and special and wasted preparation fees brought the overall increase for barrister fees from 15% to 17%.
The CPS recognise that barristers’ wellbeing should be supported and therefore have provided CPS Advocate Panel members dealing with potentially distressing casework access to their Employee Assistance Programme since September 2023.
I am hopeful that our latest funding increase for s.28 cases will help to retain Rape and Serious Sexual Offences barristers and ensure these cases continue to be prioritised. The Lord Chancellor is holding a roundtable on Wednesday 13 March to discuss this issue further.
Asked by: Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the (1) actual, and (2) projected, aid contributions to individual countries in South Asia, broken down by category of project.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We do not have a breakdown by project category of future spend. Programme allocations are continually reviewed to respond to changing global needs, including humanitarian crises, fluctuations in GNI and other ODA allocation decisions.
We do have information on project category spend for previous calendar years which is published in the statistics on international development. This data is based on calendar year not financial year and covers the whole of HMG. Please see below data based on 2022, the last available calendar year.
2022 | 2022 Total | ||||||||
Row Labels | Afghanistan | Bangladesh | Bhutan | India | Maldives | Nepal | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | |
Administrative costs (non-sector allocable) | £273,832 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £150,105 | £0 | £423,938 |
Advanced technical and managerial training | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£54,390 | £0 | -£2,535 | £0 | £0 | -£56,924 |
Agricultural development | £1,292,411 | £0 | £0 | £47,020 | £0 | £0 | -£1,361,746 | £0 | -£22,316 |
Agricultural policy and administrative management | £0 | £2,809 | £0 | -£152 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£253,566 | -£250,909 |
Agricultural research | £0 | £0 | £0 | £240,948 | £0 | £0 | £7,715 | £0 | £248,663 |
Agricultural services | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£2,274,286 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£2,274,286 |
Anti-corruption organisations and institutions | £2,518,313 | £576,402 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £175,805 | £144,143 | £0 | £3,414,663 |
Basic drinking water supply | £0 | £350,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £219,574 | £0 | £0 | £569,574 |
Basic drinking water supply and basic sanitation | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £639,497 | -£1,361,746 | £0 | -£722,250 |
Basic health care | £707,157 | £250,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £2,994,645 | £387,457 | £0 | £4,339,258 |
Basic life skills for adults | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £258,611 | £0 | £0 | £258,611 |
Basic nutrition | £0 | £712,997 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £14,770 | £0 | £0 | £727,767 |
Basic sanitation | £0 | £350,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £37,522 | -£2,723,493 | £0 | -£2,335,971 |
Biodiversity | £0 | £22,328 | £0 | £165,389 | £74,068 | £961,707 | £37,573 | £67,842 | £1,328,907 |
Business development services | £0 | £0 | £0 | £96,736 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £96,736 |
Business policy and administration | £0 | £0 | £0 | £565,783 | £0 | £0 | £437,513 | £0 | £1,003,296 |
Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution | £4,130,547 | £1,981,030 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £4,399 | £2,225,242 | £1,355,856 | £9,697,073 |
Communications policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £127,531 | £0 | £44,422 | £0 | £171,953 |
COVID-19 control | £0 | £23,407 | £0 | £802,602 | £0 | £0 | £5,949 | £0 | £831,958 |
Culture | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £61,341 | £0 | £61,341 |
Culture and recreation | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£22,408 | £0 | £0 | £85,158 | £0 | £62,750 |
Decentralisation and support to subnational government | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £138,288 | £2,475,959 | £0 | £0 | £2,614,248 |
Democratic participation and civil society | £250,000 | £1,394,795 | £0 | £0 | £57,419 | £973,571 | £443,327 | £0 | £3,119,111 |
Domestic revenue mobilisation | £0 | -£728,536 | £0 | £193,016 | £0 | £117,203 | £1,059,571 | £0 | £641,254 |
Education and training in water supply and sanitation | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £12,737 | £0 | £0 | £12,737 |
Education facilities and training | £0 | £115,830 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,464,741 | £0 | £1,580,571 |
Education policy and administrative management | £0 | £577,278 | £0 | £97,983 | £0 | £0 | £3,077,249 | £0 | £3,752,510 |
Educational research | £0 | £361,000 | £0 | -£266,036 | £0 | £188,423 | £594,639 | £0 | £878,026 |
Elections | £0 | £12,027 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £900 | £0 | £12,927 |
Electric mobility infrastructures | £0 | £0 | £0 | £70,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £70,000 |
Electric power transmission and distribution (centralised grids) | £0 | £0 | £0 | £68,700 | £0 | £173,312 | £0 | £0 | £242,012 |
Emergency food assistance | £128,041,086 | £8,635,594 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £136,676,679 |
Employment creation | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£255,005 | £0 | £0 | -£255,005 |
Ending violence against women and girls | £21,461,697 | £1,009,135 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £728,846 | £3,068,578 | £0 | £26,268,255 |
Energy generation, renewable sources - multiple technologies | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£889,376 | £0 | £1,200,806 | £0 | £0 | £311,430 |
Energy policy and administrative management | £0 | £50,553 | £0 | £158,146 | £0 | £368,287 | £0 | £0 | £576,985 |
Energy research | £0 | £0 | £0 | £23,688 | £0 | £147,098 | £0 | £0 | £170,786 |
Energy sector policy, planning and administration | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,479,122 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,479,122 |
Environmental education/training | £0 | £0 | £48,668 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £48,668 |
Environmental policy and administrative management | £635,676 | £6,904,699 | £0 | £24,064,426 | £0 | £4,380,855 | £5,812,804 | £0 | £41,798,459 |
Environmental research | £0 | £120,723 | £0 | £3,082,518 | £0 | £863,732 | £0 | £0 | £4,066,974 |
Facilitation of orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility | £0 | £102,902 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £234,377 | £0 | £0 | £337,279 |
Family planning | £265,080 | £565,862 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £102,500 | £3,660,244 | £0 | £4,593,686 |
Financial policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £507,690 | £0 | £0 | £301,387 | £0 | £809,077 |
Formal sector financial intermediaries | £0 | £0 | £0 | £49,665 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £49,665 |
Health education | £338,898 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £219,770 | £0 | £0 | £558,668 |
Health personnel development | £0 | £273,503 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £273,503 |
Health policy and administrative management | £0 | £1,760,392 | £0 | £3,122,660 | £0 | £2,298,530 | £343,452 | £0 | £7,525,034 |
Higher education | £911,301 | £649,203 | £172,288 | £2,693,479 | £214,955 | £434,329 | £1,992,063 | £395,690 | £7,463,308 |
Human rights | £0 | £1,775,384 | £0 | £0 | £183,646 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,959,030 |
Immediate post-emergency reconstruction and rehabilitation | £4,081,072 | £2,602,056 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,382,031 | £12 | £0 | £8,065,171 |
Industrial development | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £317,516 | £0 | £0 | £317,516 |
Industrial policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,102,394 | £0 | £0 | £1,102,394 |
Infectious disease control | £0 | £344,911 | £0 | £106,589 | £0 | £721,591 | £3,657 | £0 | £1,176,748 |
Informal/semi-formal financial intermediaries | £1,133,493 | £0 | £0 | £65,012 | £0 | £129,305 | £0 | £0 | £1,327,810 |
Information and communication technology (ICT) | £0 | £277,978 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £277,978 |
Legal and judicial development | £0 | £562,328 | £0 | £0 | £207,433 | £219,762 | £1,059,545 | £23,435 | £2,072,502 |
Legislatures and political parties | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £86,128 | £28,936 | £0 | £0 | £115,064 |
Livestock | £1,133,493 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,133,493 |
Low-cost housing | £0 | £0 | £0 | £7,590 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £7,590 |
Material relief assistance and services | £133,863,525 | £7,210,063 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £367,000 | £13,753,266 | £1,840,000 | £157,033,854 |
Media and free flow of information | £0 | £27,380 | £0 | £0 | £85,021 | £201,771 | £0 | £0 | £314,172 |
Medical research | £0 | £349,577 | £0 | £3,227,794 | £0 | £153,028 | £1,625,422 | £0 | £5,355,821 |
Medical services | £0 | £0 | £0 | £19,694 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £19,694 |
Monetary institutions | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£4,122,509 | £0 | £367,746 | £0 | £0 | -£3,754,763 |
Multi-hazard response preparedness | £0 | £3,119,353 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £2,296,059 | -£346,074 | £0 | £5,069,339 |
Multisector aid | £10,000,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £10,000,000 |
Multisector education/training | £179,070 | £2,964,257 | £0 | £10,757,244 | £0 | £1,082,590 | £5,089,541 | £1,148,813 | £21,221,516 |
Participation in international peacekeeping operations | -£26,486,939 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£26,486,939 |
Personnel development for population and reproductive health | £0 | £628,071 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £628,071 |
Population policy and administrative management | £0 | £63,206 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £49,325 | £159,552 | £0 | £272,083 |
Primary education | £677,795 | £1,749,487 | £0 | £96,754 | £0 | £0 | £1,368,615 | £0 | £3,892,652 |
Privatisation | £4,424 | £0 | £0 | £62,081 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £66,505 |
Public finance management (PFM) | £0 | -£4,128,373 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £820,701 | £1,854,023 | £0 | -£1,453,650 |
Public sector policy and administrative management | £34,999 | £576,042 | £0 | £859,780 | £0 | £789,046 | £91,270 | £0 | £2,351,137 |
Relief co-ordination and support services | £59,853,084 | £2,072,828 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £6,022,939 | £0 | £67,948,851 |
Removal of land mines and explosive remnants of war | £5,000,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £5,000,000 |
Reproductive health care | £1,369,857 | £1,435,386 | £0 | £52,362 | £0 | £490,359 | £1,851,776 | £0 | £5,199,740 |
Research/scientific institutions | £378,625 | £1,287,873 | -£72,577 | £740,328 | £0 | £1,049,080 | £908,916 | £2,760 | £4,295,005 |
Road transport | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£1,137,143 | £0 | £2,256,726 | £1,800 | £0 | £1,121,383 |
Rural development | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £202,165 | £0 | £0 | £202,165 |
Security system management and reform | £0 | £43,536 | £0 | £0 | £458,799 | £69,946 | £0 | £0 | £572,281 |
Site preservation | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) development | £5,530 | £0 | £0 | £1,245,753 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £1,251,283 |
Social Protection | £0 | £1,351,346 | £0 | £39,879 | £0 | -£345,949 | £226,615 | £0 | £1,271,891 |
Solar energy for centralised grids | £0 | £0 | £0 | £117,792 | £0 | £648,694 | £0 | £0 | £766,486 |
Statistical capacity building | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £353,100 | £0 | £0 | £353,100 |
Teacher training | £0 | £508,061 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £663,698 | £0 | £1,171,759 |
Trade facilitation | £5,530 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £133,722 | £0 | £139,252 |
Trade policy and administrative management | £6,637 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £203,275 | £0 | £209,912 |
Transport policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £69,054 | £0 | £128,892 | £1,200 | £0 | £199,146 |
Tuberculosis control | £0 | £29,991 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £29,991 |
Upper Secondary Education (modified and includes data from 11322) | £338,898 | £897,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £985,293 | £0 | £2,221,190 |
Urban development | £0 | £0 | £0 | £542,146 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £542,146 |
Urban development and management | £0 | £1,050,000 | £0 | £78,000 | £0 | £695,269 | £781,523 | £0 | £2,604,792 |
Vocational training | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £646,527 | £0 | £0 | £646,527 |
Waste management/disposal | £0 | £0 | £0 | £14,424 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £14,424 |
Water resources conservation (including data collection) | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £219,574 | £0 | £0 | £219,574 |
Water sector policy and administrative management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £31,842 | £0 | £0 | £31,842 |
Water supply - large systems | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £737,655 | £0 | £0 | £737,655 |
Water supply and sanitation - large systems | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£1,137,143 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | -£1,137,143 |
Women's rights organisations and movements, and government institutions | £0 | £1,800,998 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £59,406 | £1,444,631 | £0 | £3,305,036 |
Grand Total | £352,405,092 | £54,672,670 | £148,379 | £45,728,404 | £1,633,288 | £37,241,408 | £57,842,803 | £4,580,830 | £554,252,874 |
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to introduce the Phase 2 Means Test Review civil legal aid changes.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Since publication of the Legal Aid Means Test Review Consultation Response in May 2023, the Government has been developing detailed implementation plans for the new legal aid means assessment. The Government intends to provide an update on the timeline for implementation of these reforms shortly.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the High Court judgement on the Law Society’s judicial review against the Ministry of Justice, [2024] EWHC 155 (Admin), handed down on 31 January 2024.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
I refer the right honourable Member to the answer I gave on 20 February to Question 14863
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid, published on 29 November 2021.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
On 30 November 2022, we published our full response to the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review (CLAIR) and consultation on policy proposals. This followed our interim response, which was published on 20 July 2022.
Based on CLAIR’s emphasis on swift resolution of criminal matters, we increased fees for solicitors by 15% in the police station and magistrates’ court and uplifted the basic elements of the Litigators’ Graduated Fee Scheme (LGFS) by 15%.
An additional £21.1 million has been allocated towards reform of the police station fee scheme and the Youth Court fees, subject to a consultation which is ongoing. If allocated, this will result in an overall increase of 11% for solicitors once these reforms are in place.
We also uplifted fees for defence advocates by 15%. In addition, we introduced new fees for advocates who undertake s.28 hearings (pre-recorded cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses) and allocated additional funding for special and wasted preparation (work done outside of the ordinary, in specified circumstances, or work done by an advocate but where they are unable to conduct the trial for good reason).
We anticipate that these investments will increase criminal legal aid spending by up to £141 million a year in a steady state, and take total criminal legal aid spend to £1.2 billion per year.
We also established the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board in October 2022, following Sir Christopher Bellamy’s CLAIR recommendation that an Advisory Board be created to take a wider view and encourage a more joined-up approach to criminal legal aid within the criminal justice system. It is chaired by former judge HH Deborah Taylor.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 156 of the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid published on 29 November 2021, whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost to his Department of increasing legal aid for criminal defence solicitors by 15% above 2021 spend.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In responding to the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review (CLAIR), we increased fees for solicitors by 15% in the police station and magistrates’ court, and uplifted the basic elements of the Litigators’ Graduated Fee Scheme (LGFS) by 15%. We chose not to uplift the pages of prosecution evidence and trial length elements of the LGFS, because we were considering reforms aimed at removing any perverse incentives.
An additional £21.1 million has been allocated towards reform of the police station fee scheme and the Youth Court fees, subject to a consultation which is ongoing. If allocated, this will result in an overall increase of 11% for solicitors once these reforms are in place. We expect these reforms will increase investment in the solicitor profession by £85 million every year.
In considering our response, we made estimates of the costs of these changes, and alternative options. Based on the forecasted case volumes for 2024/25, as estimated at the time of CLAIR, we assessed it would cost an additional up to £27 million per year in steady state to deliver the recommended 15% increase to criminal solicitors.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that legal aid remains accessible.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Access to justice is a fundamental right, and in 2022/23 we spent £1.86 billion on legal aid: £926 million on civil, £873 million on crime, and £56 million through central funds (central funds provide funding for, amongst other things, Defence Costs Orders, which are made in respect of non legally-aided defendants who are acquitted, and independent cross examination of vulnerable witnesses in criminal and civil proceedings).
The Ministry of Justice published the Government Response to the Means Test Review consultation exercise in May 2023, which sets out the detailed policy decisions underpinning the new means-test arrangements.
Our changes will increase the number of people eligible for civil legal aid in England and Wales by an additional 2.5 million, with 3.5 million more people eligible for criminal legal aid at the magistrates’ court.
We have also injected up to £10 million a year into housing legal aid through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS). HLPAS provides early legal advice on housing, debt, and welfare benefits problems for anyone facing the loss of their home.
In 2023, we broadened the evidence requirements for victims of domestic abuse applying for legal aid. Special Guardianship Orders in private law proceedings were also brought into the scope of legal aid. This represented an injection of £13 million a year.
We will shortly be consulting on expanding the provision of legal aid at inquests related to major incidents where the Independent Public Advocate is appointed or in the aftermath of terrorist incidents. If implemented, this would mean that no family involved in such cases in future would face an inquest without proper legal representation.
To support and strengthen the criminal legal aid sector, in responding to the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, we uplifted most criminal legal aid fee schemes by 15% in 2022. We are also consulting on reforms to the police station fee scheme and the Youth Court fee scheme, for which we have allocated an extra £21 million per year. These changes increase spend by up to £141 million a year - taking expected criminal legal aid spend to £1.2 billion per year. The additional funding into the system will help contribute towards the sustainability of the market and help ensure legal aid is accessible for the future.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that legal aid remains accessible.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Access to justice is a fundamental right, and in 2022/23 we spent £1.86 billion on legal aid: £926 million on civil, £873 million on crime, and £56 million through central funds (central funds provide funding for, amongst other things, Defence Costs Orders, which are made in respect of non legally-aided defendants who are acquitted, and independent cross examination of vulnerable witnesses in criminal and civil proceedings).
The Ministry of Justice published the Government Response to the Means Test Review consultation exercise in May 2023, which sets out the detailed policy decisions underpinning the new means-test arrangements.
Our changes will increase the number of people eligible for civil legal aid in England and Wales by an additional 2.5 million, with 3.5 million more people eligible for criminal legal aid at the magistrates’ court.
We have also injected up to £10 million a year into housing legal aid through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS). HLPAS provides early legal advice on housing, debt, and welfare benefits problems for anyone facing the loss of their home.
In 2023, we broadened the evidence requirements for victims of domestic abuse applying for legal aid. Special Guardianship Orders in private law proceedings were also brought into the scope of legal aid. This represented an injection of £13 million a year.
We will shortly be consulting on expanding the provision of legal aid at inquests related to major incidents where the Independent Public Advocate is appointed or in the aftermath of terrorist incidents. If implemented, this would mean that no family involved in such cases in future would face an inquest without proper legal representation.
To support and strengthen the criminal legal aid sector, in responding to the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, we uplifted most criminal legal aid fee schemes by 15% in 2022. We are also consulting on reforms to the police station fee scheme and the Youth Court fee scheme, for which we have allocated an extra £21 million per year. These changes increase spend by up to £141 million a year - taking expected criminal legal aid spend to £1.2 billion per year. The additional funding into the system will help contribute towards the sustainability of the market and help ensure legal aid is accessible for the future.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff in (a) HM Prison and Probation Service, (b) HM Courts and Tribunals Service, (c) the Crown Prosecution Service and (d) the Legal Aid Agency have job titles which include the words (i) equality, (ii) diversity, (iii) inclusion, (iv) gender, (v) LGBT and (vi) race.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
It would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold to ascertain the facts across the Ministry of Justice and its 35 public bodies.