§ 31. Mr. Simon Hughes (Southwark, North and Bermondsey)What estimate his Department has made of the impact on the legal aid budget of compulsory (a) medical insurance and (b) personal injury insurance; and if he will make a statement. [41287]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon)Although the Government are keen to see an expansion of legal expenses insurance generally, the Lord Chancellor's Department has not made any estimate of the impact of compulsory insurance on the legal aid budget, because that is not a realistic prospect. The Government prefer to modernise the civil justice system to make it quicker, cheaper and simpler—we want to encourage the development of voluntary insurance, wider access to membership schemes such as those provided by trade unions and other organisations, and increased availability and use of conditional fee agreements.
§ Mr. HughesIn considering the legal aid system in general, will the Parliamentary Secretary bear in mind the fact that, every day, people bring cases against health authorities throughout the country? Some of those cases are legally aided and others are not, but they all involve a huge amount of public money. People want a simple way in which fault can be recognised when the health service gets something wrong. Will he talk to his colleagues in the Department of Health to ensure that 732 people's ability to enforce their rights when things go wrong in the health service is streamlined and made far less traumatic?
§ Mr. HoonI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his suggestion. The Lord Chancellor's Department and the Department of Health have been engaged in discussions along those lines. In the most recent consultation document, we stressed the importance of channelling legal aid funds to those who specialise in medical negligence cases. Lawyers who deal daily with such issues do a far better job not only for the individual plaintiff but, crucially, in providing a proper and effective service to society.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)Does my hon. Friend agree that there is a strange irony in the fact that the Labour Government adopted Tory spending plans and introduced the possibility of cutting legal aid, but are now being condemned for it by Tory Members? Is there not a moral here—that it is time we stopped using Tory spending plans?
§ Mr. HoonI had considerable experience of disagreeing with my hon. Friend in the days when I had the privilege to represent him in the European Parliament. The important point is that the Government do not intend to cut legal aid. Our ambition is to refocus it and save money on traditional legal aid, to ensure that we can help the most vulnerable in our society, many of whom live in Bolsover.
§ Mr. John M. Taylor (Solihull)When will the Legal Aid Board become subject to the late payment legislation that is currently before the House?