HC Deb 11 July 2000 vol 353 c509W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many cases legal aid has been granted over the last five years in solicitors' negligence cases to(a) solicitors and (b) complainants. [129451]

Mr. Lock

Under the system in place until 31 March 2000, solicitors were unlikely to obtain legal aid to defend negligence cases as they would not usually be financially eligible. Generally they would also have the benefit of professional indemnity insurance.

In the last five years for which figures are available, the number of certificates issued to claimants in actions for legal professional negligence was:

Number
1993–94 3,342
1994–95 3,509
1995–96 3,717
1996–97 2,959
1997–98 2,365

Figures from 1998–99 onwards are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.