§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Attorney-General what is the time taken to deal with an application for civil legal aid in each area office in London for which sample survey figures are available.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe only figures available at present on the time taken to deal with civil legal aid applications are those contained in the Law Society's 35th legal aid annual report (House of Commons paper 156) appendix 2G (page 94). The samples from individual area offices on which those national figures were based were not analysed separately and are no longer available. More comprehensive figures for 1985–86 will be available shortly, and I will arrange for them to be sent to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor will make it his policy not to fund the increases in payment for legal aid services by the profession by cuts in the legal aid and advice schemes; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralAny changes in legal aid services will be made in the interest of efficiency and economy and in no circumstances will the interests of users of the service be sacrificed to those of the legal profession.
§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Attorney-General why the free limits for legal aid eligibility have not been increased to coincide with the July social security benefits uprating; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralTo have increased the legal aid eligibility limits in line with the social security benefits uprating would have involved a rise of only 1.1 per cent., which, for civil legal aid, would have meant a rise in the lower income limit from £2,255 to £2,280. It was felt that such a small rise did not justify an uprating. However, this will be taken into account when the legal aid eligibility limits are next reviewed, which will be when social security benefits are uprated in April 1987.