§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Attorney-General what evaluation is made by his and the Lord Chancellor's Department as to the progress of civil cases which are legally aided to ensure that public money is not wasted as a result of inefficiency or unnecessary delay by solicitors and counsel.
§ The Attorney-GeneralNeither my office nor the Lord Chancellor's Department evaluates the progress of civil cases which are legally aided.
It is the responsibility of the Legal Aid Board to establish controls to ensure that legally aided cases are not unjustifiably prolonged, and that expenses are not wasted or unnecessarily incurred. The board is in the process of preparing a case control procedure and will be reporting to the Lord Chancellor when this is settled.