§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on delays in the payment of bills due under the Army Criminal Legal Aid Authority. [120136]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 2 May 2000]The Army Criminal Legal Aid Authority (ACLAA) was set up in 1996 to administer the provision of legal aid for individuals facing court-martial or other defined legal processes. The role of ACLAA is to receive applications 263W for legal aid, define the individual contribution required, make an offer of legal aid on that basis, negotiate acceptance with the employing unit and individual, instruct legal representatives, and finally to review and settle bills for work done.
In December last year the Officer in Charge became ill which led to some reordering of work while his situation clarified. Sadly it has become clear that it will not be possible for him to return to ACLAA. In addition another experienced member of staff also became ill in January, and has not been able to return either.
While new staff were being recruited it was necessary to give priority to the allocation of legal aid to individuals to ensure that the legal process was not disrupted or delayed. Regrettably this meant that ACLAA was not able to assess and clear bills until the arrival of additional staff. Over the last month ACLAA staff have been working hard to deal with the backlog of bills that were awaiting payment and many have now been settled.
Any delay in payment is regrettable. However, ACLAA is currently being expanded and strengthened which should ensure that similar delays, caused by unforeseen circumstances, do not recur.