§ 8. Mr. Boardmanasked the Attorney-General if he is aware of the dissatisfaction of litigants with the operation of the Legal Aid Scheme; what action he proposes to take to meet this; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI am not aware of any widespread dissatisfaction with the Legal Aid Scheme. My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor, the Law Society and I receive very few complaints. If the hon. Member has anything particularly in mind, I should be glad if he would let me know.
§ Mr. BoardmanIs the Attorney-General aware that there have been a number of cases in which legally assisted persons, having been awarded damages and costs, have had the utmost difficulty in recovering even the amount of their own assessed contributions, the damages and costs having been gobbled up by the lawyers? In view of the fact that in its implementation the Act is turning out to be State aid for lawyers instead of litigants, will the right hon. and learned Gentleman look into this scandalous waste of taxpayers' money?
§ The Attorney-GeneralIf I may say so with respect, I do not think that that is a very fair way of describing the legal aid scheme. There were 130,000 applicants for legal aid last year, of whom 94,000 received assistance. Legal advice was also given to 61,000 people, and I should have thought that, on the whole, the Legal Aid Scheme had been of great benefit to a large number of people. The scheme is kept constantly under review by my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor. 1213 There is an annual report to Parliament in pursuance of the 1949 Act, and the Law Society and the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee keep all complaints under review from time to time.
§ Mr. BoardmanWill the Attorney-General look at this matter in so far as costs are involved where people are trying to recover small sums of money? It is in these cases that the abuse occurs.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI shall be delighted to consider any particular cases which the hon. Gentleman cares to send to me.