Legal Aid (Hansard, 27 April 1993)

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the amount of contributions to criminal legal aid paid for the most recent year available, and the number of defendants who have made those payments.

Mr. John M. Taylor
In the period from April 1991 to March 1992 a total of £3.6 million was paid in contributions towards the cost of legally aided criminal cases (£2 million in respect of proceedings in the magistrates courts and £1.6 million in respect of proceedings in courts other than the magistrates courts). In 1991 there were approximately 36,300 contributors in legally aided criminal cases.

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total number of defendants granted legal aid and the net cost of that aid, for both civil and criminal legal aid in the most recent year available.

Mr. John M. Taylor
The information sought is not available in the form requested. There were 3.03 million acts of assistance in 1991–92 at a net cost of £906 million, and it is estimated that there will have been 3.39 million acts of assistance in 1992–93. It is not possible to apportion the net cost between plaintiffs and defendants.

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much VAT was paid on legal aid fees, and what was the cost of administering VAT on legal services to those aided, for both civil and criminal legal aid for the most recent available year.

Mr. John M. Taylor
The information sought is not available. It is not possible to identify separately the total VAT element of legal aid bills.

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the cost of the green form scheme in the most recent year available.

Mr. John M. Taylor
Net expenditure on green form legal advice and assistance in 1991–92 was £95 million. Final figures are not yet available for 1992–93, but it is estimated that expenditure on green form in 1992–93 was £122 million.

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total cost of criminal legal aid both gross and net of contributions ordered and VAT in the most recent year available.

Mr. John M. Taylor
In 1991–92, the last year for which final figures are available, expenditure on criminal legal aid was £478 million gross (£474 million net). Expenditure on criminal legal aid 1992–93 is estimated at £535 million gross (£529 million net). It is not possible to identify the total amount of VAT paid in respect of legal services.

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the number of legally aided defendants who have failed to make any payments as ordered in the most recent year available; what was the total amount involved; against how many people recovery proceedings have been commenced; and what is the amount involved.
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Mr. John M. Taylor
In the period from April 1991 to March 1992 a total of 4,239 civil legal aid certificates were revoked due to the non-payment of contributions at a cost to the legal aid fund of £1.9 million. In 1991 approximately 500 criminal cases had legal aid revoked due to the non-payment of contributions. Information on recovery proceedings for non-payment is not available centrally, nor is not possible to determine the costs involved.

§ Mr. Boateng
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the number of legally-aided defendants who are in arrears with their contributions as ordered at the most recent available date; and what is the total still outstanding, the number against whom recovery proceedings have been commenced and the amount involved, for both civil and criminal legal aid.

Mr. John M. Taylor
The information is not available in the form requested. However, in the period from April 1991 to March 1992 a total of 4,239 civil legal aid certificates were revoked as a result of contributions outstanding representing a sum of £1.9 million, compared with 3,598 and £1.6 million in the previous year. Statistics regarding the financial year just ended will become available in June when the Legal Aid Board is due to publish its annual report for 1992–93.