§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the effect the reduction in fees paid to barristers for crime and family work from legal aid will have on the availability of experienced barristers to carry out such work on legal aid. [139152]
§ Mr. LockOur proposals for legal aid fees aim to ensure that there will be a sufficient number of good quality barristers willing to undertake criminal and family work in the future. The proposals have been the subject of extensive consultation from 4 July to 12 October. The Lord Chancellor and I will consider the responses received and representations made very carefully. We would be concerned if any significant drain of experienced barristers from these areas of practice was likely to be the result of a new fee regime; and would not have submitted any proposals for consultation which we believed would have had that effect. In view of current market circumstances, the Lord Chancellor and I are not presently persuaded that there is likely to be a lack of supply of competent banisters in either area to carry out publicly funded work.