§ Mr. SinghTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to introduce assistance for representation from the Community Legal Service legal services fund for applicants to employment tribunals in England and Wales [149293]
§ Mr. LockPublic funding is not generally available for representation before employment tribunals. However, under the legal help scheme, funding is available for applicants to get legal advice when preparing a case to be brought before an employment tribunal.
Sir Andrew Leggatt is conducting a review of tribunals which will assess the extent to which the administrative and practical arrangements, including representation, meet the needs of the user and the requirements of the ECHR for independence and impartiality. It would be premature to make any decisions on extending publicly funded representation in tribunal proceedings until Sir Andrew's review has been completed.
§ Mr. SinghTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how the money saved from removing personal injury cases from legal aid has been redeployed within the Community Legal Service; and if these savings will be allocated to legal aid for social welfare cases. [149300]
§ Mr. LockThe moneys saved from removing personal injury cases from legal aid are available for other matters which fall within the scope of the Legal Services Commission's funding code. No specific amounts have been set aside for social welfare cases, although under the funding code such cases receive priority.
§ Mr. SinghTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will recruit sufficient lawyers for the community legal service to cover the subjects of(a) immigration, (b) education, (c) community care and (d) mental health. [149299]
§ Mr. LockThese categories are among those which have been targeted as priority areas for funding in the community legal service. On 3 April 2000, the Lord Chancellor announced details of an additional £46 million legal help package intended to boost legal services in these areas. The number of contracts has increased significantly as a result.
The Lord Chancellor has recently announced a further 10 per cent, increase in the advice rates for work in these and other social welfare categories of law. The purpose of this advice is to help safeguard the established contracting base of quality assured firms throughout England and Wales. However, these services are provided 773W by firms contracted to the Legal Services Commission rather than through lawyers directly recruited by or employed by the Commission.