31. Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the reforms of the legal aid provisions. [31469]
Mr. John M. TaylorThe consultation period for the Green Paper "Legal Aid—Targeting Need" ends on 31 August. The Government will decide what further action to take in the light of the responses to that consultation.
Mr. O'BrienI am grateful for the Minister's response. Will he also take into consideration the point that I have raised with him about a letter from a constituent who has been denied legal aid because of her husband's savings? The funds and incomes of spouses are supposed to be separate nowadays; so will the Minister assure me that wives will not be disallowed legal aid because of their husbands' incomes or savings?
Mr. TaylorI can promise the hon. Gentleman that I shall take his point into account and that I shall write him a letter, but I cannot promise that it will necessarily contain exactly what he wants.