HL Deb 27 July 1993 vol 548 cc100-1WA
The Marquess of Ailesbury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What percentage of the total cost of Legal Aid is taken up by divorce proceedings and whether this percentage is rising.

The Lord Chancellor

The percentage of total net legal aid expenditure in respect of proceedings ancillary to divorce and defended divorce proceedings (excluding Green Form legal advice and assistance) in the last three years for which information is available is as follows:

1989-90 12.4 per cent. £70 million
1990-91 12.5 per cent. £85 million
1991-92 12.7 per cent. £115 million

Legal aid is not normally available for undefended divorce proceedings. Green Form advice is however available. It is not possible to give separate net figures for individual categories of Green Form expenditure. Gross Green Form expenditure on divorce proceedings (including judicial separation) in 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 was £22 million, £24 million and £28 million respectively. This accounted for 33-3 per cent., 33.3 per cent. and 28 per cent. of total gross expenditure on Green Form.