§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Attorney-General what is his estimate of the number of law centres necessary to provide an adequate national legal aid and advice service, as outlined by the Lord Chancellor in his statement of 15th June 1976.
§ The Attorney-GeneralSince my noble Friend considers that legal aid and advice should continue to be provided mainly by private practitioners it would not be appropriate to estimate on the basis that need is to be met by law centres 71W alone. In his statement of 15th June my noble Friend indicated that there was urgent need for the setting up of more law centres and listed those geographical areas where the need for legal services was greatest.
§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Attorney-General what is his estimate of the minimum cost of providing an adequate law centre; what size of catchment area he considers feasible; and what he estimates to be a suitable staffing requirement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralIt is not possible to give general figures because different areas have different needs. However, the experience of law centres so far suggests that an annual expenditure of £50,000, including income drawn from legal aid, can make a significant contribution to meeting the legal needs of an area with a population of between 50,000 and 100,000. Staffing provision must depend on salaries and other overheads, but at current levels the figure indicated should allow for an establishment of about three lawyers and six other staff.