§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Attorney-General what action he is taking to extend the benefits of the Statutory Advice Scheme to more people by revising the income limits imposed by the Legal Aid and Advice Acts, 1949 and 1960.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe financial limits are laid down in the Legal Advice Regulations, 1959 as amended by the Legal Advice (Amendment) Regulations, 1960. At the request of the Legal Aid Advisory Committee the Law Society, in consultation with the Citizens' Advice Bureaux, are considering how the Legal Advice Scheme should be amended so as to provide a system under which any person without the means to pay for a solicitor will be encouraged to seek legal advice under the Scheme. In doing so, the Law Society will no doubt consider whether the existing financial limits should be increased.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Attorney-General what account has been taken of changes in the value of money since April, 1960 in revising the income limits imposed by the Legal Aid and Advice Acts, 1949 and 1960.
§ The Attorney-GeneralAllowances in respect of dependants have been increased on average by 58 per cent. and will be further increased on 30th October. There have also been minor increases in the amount of income disregarded and in allowances from capital. While economic 281W circumstances do not permit any further revision of the income limits at the present time, my noble Friend, the Lord Chancellor, has instructed his Advisory Committee to compare the need to increase the limits of disposable income and capital laid down by the Legal Aid Act, 1960 with the need to extend the Legal Aid Scheme to Tribunals and to those court proceedings for which legal aid is not yet available, and to advise him which should have priority.