§ 41. Mr. G. Straussasked the Attorney-General whether he will consult with the Law Society with a view to raising the present income limit below which applicants to the Courts of Justice are able to take advantage of the Poor Persons Procedure?
§ The Attorney-General (Sir Donald Somervell)The present system of affording legal aid to the poorer sections of the community is under constant review, and will require further consideration and possibly amendment after, and possibly before, the termination of the war. The system depends for its efficient working on the cordial support of the solicitors' profession, and owing to the heavy demands on that profession made by the claims of national service, it is at present subject to great strain. It would not, therefore, be practicable at present to raise the income limit.
§ Mr. StraussIs the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the present income limit, which, in fact, is £4 a week, combined with the high cost of living, effectively prevents most working people at the moment from instituting, for example, divorce proceedings, which normally cost about £50? Is it not wholly wrong that laws passed by Parliament should not be available to the whole community?
§ The Attorney-GeneralI appreciate the difficulties of the question, but my hon. Friend will know that under a scheme recently introduced for aid of this kind to persons in the Armed Forces considerable relief has been given to the ordinary administration of the Poor Persons Procedure, the solicitors' profession is now being carried on with little more than one-third of those who were in it before the war, and to put an extra burden on 1310 them at this time would really cause the machine to break down.
§ Mr. Evelyn WalkdenWould the right, hon. and learned Gentleman, in considering any revision such as has been indicated, remind the War Office that a man above the rank of sergeant is deserving of legal aid equally as much as a man below that rank?