§ Mr. Edward Lyonsasked the Attorney-General, whether he will raise the upper income limit to qualify for legal aid under the civil legal aid scheme, and also the income below which no contribution is payable for legal aid under the scheme, so that the same proportion of the population as in 1950 is eligible for free legal aid and for legal aid with a contribution.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralMy noble Friend intends to improve the financial limits for legal aid as soon as sufficient resources are available.
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§ Mr. Edward Lyonsasked the Attorney-General what is his estimate of the net annual cost, after deducting contributions, of abolishing the upper income limit for civil legal aid.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralAny estimate of the net cost of abolishing the upper income limit for civil legal aid would depend on assumptions about the increase in the number of applications for legal aid, the number of new certificates issued in each type of case, and the disposable income of those to whom new certificates were issued. I regret that sufficient information on which to base an accurate estimate is not available.