§ Mr. Burdenasked the Attorney-General if he has now considered the Report of the Committee on Legal Aid and Legal Advice in England and Wales; and what steps he proposes to take to implement the recommendations of the committee.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Government have considered the Report to which the hon. Member refers and have provision-240W ally given general approval to the main principles set out in the Report. Since then the Law Society, at my Noble Friend's request, have prepared a detailed scheme for giving legal advice, and for the giving of legal aid in civil proceedings, on the lines recommended in the Report, and are preparing detailed estimates of the probable cost of working the scheme. On receipt of the detailed scheme, the next step will be to consider what grant in aid it would be necessary and proper to make to the Law Society and what new statutory duties and powers ought to be given to them for the working of the scheme. Legislation would be required, and this will, I hope, be undertaken next Session.