HL Deb 10 July 1996 vol 574 c22WA
Lord Chapple

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether legal aid may be awarded to defendants being prosecuted for rent arrears.

The Lord Chancellor

Civil legal aid is available for most proceedings before the courts of England and Wales, subject to tests of the applicant's means and of the merits of his or her case. It is not, however, generally available to a defendant where a debt is not disputed and the only question in issue is the time and mode of its payment.

Lord Chapple

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there are any cases outstanding where legal aid has been awarded to defendants being prosecuted for rent arrears: and if so, what is the average cost to the taxpayer of each such case.

The Lord Chancellor

Separate records are not kept in respect of actions which include a claim for rent arrears. The average cost to the legal aid fund of certificates paid in 1995–96 in respect of all landlord and tenant disputes was £1,128 per certificate.