§ 43. Mr. Tom Coxasked the Attorney-General what information Her Majesty's Government gather about the level of charges made by solictors in the context of monitoring public expenditure on legal aid.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThe average cost of solicitors' bills for legal aid work is monitored on a monthly basis.
§ Mr. CoxIs the Solicitor-General aware that many people find it extremely difficult to obtain legal aid? Is it because of the cost? Is he further aware that in the London area the going rate for legal advice on immigration matters from solicitors is around £75 an hour? Against that 15 background, will he inquire into, and publish a report on, the charges that solicitors present to their clients, which are often outrageously high?
§ The Solicitor-GeneralI shall ensure that the Lord Chancellor considers the hon. Gentleman's point. The part of the legal aid scheme for which the Law Society is responsible is monitored. Results of cases, charges and fees paid are fed into the Law Society's computer, and referred to the Lord Chancellor's Department. Statistics derived from that information are already published in the annual legal aid reports. There are other monitoring exercises carried out for the Crown and county courts.