HC Deb 04 November 1993 vol 231 cc318-9W
Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if a full cost-benefit analysis has been conducted by the Lord Chancellor into the cuts in eligibility for legal aid.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The Lord Chancellor has set out clearly the forecast effects of the eligibility changes introduced in April 1993—in particular, in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee earlier this year. On these assessments, the Lord Chancellor has no doubt that the everall effect of the eligibility measures will be to reduce significantly over the next three years the level of public expenditure that would have occurred in the absence of these measures.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the conclusions of the Lord Chancellor's analysis of the reasons for the rise in demand for legal aid and for the increase in costs per case.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The reasons for the rise in the demand for legal aid and for the increase in costs per case are many and complex. Among the factors which have an impact on legal aid expenditure are the propensity to litigate, police detection rates and cautioning policy, and the impact of new legislation, all of which are, by their nature, difficult to quantify. The Lord Chancellor's Department is currently considering how it can improve the methodology it uses in forecasting legal aid expenditure.

Mr. Boateng

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the initial findings of the Lord Chancellor's monitoring of the effects of the eligibility cuts in legal aid.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The changes were expected to affect mainly the civil legal aid scheme and the advice and assistance scheme. It is still too soon to draw firm conclusions, but the changes appear to be having broadly the effect which was anticipated.

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