LEGAL AID (Hansard, 16 February 1978)

§ Mr. Douglas-Mann
asked the Attorney-General what is the best estimate he can form of the additional cost that would be involved if the means test were abolished for legal aid in relation to (a) criminal cases, (b) personal injury claims, and (c) all litigation.

§ The Solicitor-General
(a) Criminal cases: on the assumption that free legal aid would be available and be demanded in every criminal case the additional annual cost would be of the order of £20 million.
(b) Personal Injury claims: no estimates are available of the likely cost of granting free legal aid in all personal injury claims.
(c) All litigation: no estimates are available of the likely cost of granting free legal aid in all litigation. If, however, all those who qualified for legal aid on payment of a contribution in 1976–77 had received free legal aid, there would have been a loss of contributions and damages retained of about £5.3 million. This would have been partly offset by a reduced cost of assessment of means.

§ Mr. Douglas-Mann
asked the Attorney-General what proportion of expenditure on legal aid in 1976–77 was attributable to (a) administration, excluding the assessment of means and contributions, (b) the assessment of means and contributions, (c) payments as the costs of legally aided parties to litigation, (d) payments as costs to the opponents of legally aided parties to litigation, (e) payments under the Green Form scheme, and (f) other expenditure.

§ The Solicitor-General
In 1976–77 the total net expenditure on legal aid in civil294W cases—including as cost of assessment of means by the Supplementary Benefits Commission—criminal cases in magistrates' courts, and legal advice and assistance was £51,780,666. This sum is made up as folows:

£

(a) Administration, excluding the assessment of means and contributions 6,863,391

(b) The assessment of means and contributions 2,427,000

(c) Payments of the costs of legally aided parties to litigation 20,897,204

(d) Payments of costs to the opponents of legally aided parties to litigation 43,333

(e) Payments under the green form scheme 5,250,043

(f) Other expenditure—criminal cases in magistrates' courts 16,299,695

	£
(a) Administration, excluding the assessment of means and contributions	6,863,391
(b) The assessment of means and contributions	2,427,000
(c) Payments of the costs of legally aided parties to litigation	20,897,204
(d) Payments of costs to the opponents of legally aided parties to litigation	43,333
(e) Payments under the green form scheme	5,250,043
(f) Other expenditure—criminal cases in magistrates' courts	16,299,695