§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Attorney-General if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the cost to the Exchequer of legal aid in the years 1970 to 1980, respectively.
The Solicitor-GeneralNet expenditure on legal aid in England and Wales, inclusive of the Law Society's administrative costs, in the financial years 1970–71 to 1980–81 was as follows:
£ million 1970–71 17.4 1971–72 20.7 1972–73 27.7 1973–74 31.5 1974–75 43.3 1975–76 59.3 1976–77 69.4 1977–78 81.8 1978–79 92.6 1979–80 109.8 1980–81 151.5
§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Attorney-General what steps are taken to monitor the granting of legal aid so as 282W to ensure that it is used in a manner that does not cause other parties to law suits who must pay their own costs onerous extra costs that they cannot afford to pay.
The Solicitor-GeneralThe Legal Aid Act 1974 and regulations made under it contain machinery to prevent legal aid being used to fund unmeritorious litigation which causes unassisted parties to incur onerous extra costs. That machinery is complex. The Lord Chancellor will write to my hon. Friend explaining it in detail and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.