Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Legal Aid

Tuesday 14 May 2024 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The National Audit Office report on legal aid management was a valuable piece of work, and the Government is considering its conclusions carefully.
  • The number of people within 10 km of a legal aid housing advice provider in England and Wales has fallen from 73% to 64% in the last decade.
  • The Government is providing 10 million to the Housing Loss Prevention Advisory Service to ensure those at risk of eviction can access necessary legal aid.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mohammad Yasin Lab Bedford
Justice & Courts
Context

The National Audit Office released a report on the Government's management of legal aid, which included several recommendations. Mohammad Yasin is seeking information on progress made in implementing these recommendations.

Question

What progress he has made on implementing the recommendations of the National Audit Office report on the Government's management of legal aid?

Answer from Alex Chalk

The National Audit Office report on the management of legal aid was a valuable piece of work, and we are considering its conclusions carefully. The Government hugely value the work of legal aid lawyers, which is why we commissioned a review of civil legal aid to identify options for the delivery of a more effective, efficient and sustainable system for legal aid providers. A Green Paper containing policy options is planned for July this year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps or timeline on implementing recommendations were not provided

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Q2 Mohammad Yasin Lab Bedford
Justice & Courts Housing
Context

There are no providers of housing legal aid in the borough of Bedford, and within England and Wales, the number of people living within 10 km of a provider of legal aid housing advice has fallen from 73% to 64% over the last decade. Mohammad Yasin is concerned about access to legal aid for enforcing renter reforms.

Question

There are no providers of housing legal aid in the borough of Bedford, and the number of people living within 10 km of a provider of legal aid housing advice in England and Wales has fallen from 73% to 64% in the last decade. Does the Secretary of State agree that whatever legal redress is provided in the Renters (Reform) and Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bills will be meaningless if there is no legal aid system to enforce those reforms?

Answer from Alex Chalk

I hope that the hon. Gentleman will welcome the £10 million that is going to the Housing Loss Prevention Advisory Service, which is a revolutionary step to ensure that those who are at risk of eviction can access the legal aid they require in order to make their case. I respectfully invite the hon. Gentleman to come and see me so that I can discuss this with him further and he can be a voice for his constituents, signposting them to the support that is available, because it is important for them to be aware of the support that the Government are providing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly address whether reforms in Renters (Reform) and Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bills would be meaningless without a legal aid system

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