§ Mr. Lambieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the time taken by the Law Society of Scotland to deal with applications for legal aid; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindCivil legal aid applications show a continuing increase, and, since their inflow is uneven, delays in processing inevitably arise from time to time. Owing to equipment defects which developed in the partially automated processing system installed by the Law Society of Scotland last autumn, unusually lengthy delays occurred in recent months; but the defects have now been overcome, and current applications are now being handled much more quickly.
Income assesment of legal aid applicants is carried out by the Department of Health and Social Security. Delay inevitably arises where the applicant has changed employment or becomes unemployed.