§ Mr. Andersonasked the Attorney-General what are the criteria for the grant of legal aid for persons wishing to refer to the courts decisions of housing authorities under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, how many such applications have (a) been made and (b) been refused for 1978, 1979 and 1980; and, of the refusals, how many have been refused (i) on the merits and (ii) on financial grounds.
The Solicitor-GeneralThe criteria are the same as those for all other civil proceedings. In effect, the applicant must (i) fall within the limits of financial eligibility; (ii) show that he has reasonable grounds for taking, defending or being a party to the proceedings and (iii) it must not appear unreasonable in the particular circumstances of the case that he should receive legal aid. No separate figures are kept of legal aid applications in respect of proceedings under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977.