§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Attorney-General how many people have received legal aid in each of the last five years; and what criteria will be used to determine eligibility of people who submit claims for legal aid in the future.
§ The Attorney-GeneralApart from civil legal aid, for which the number of certificates issued is recorded separately, legal aid statistics are kept in the form of the number of legal aid bills paid in each year. The figures for the past five years for each type of legal aid are as follows:
§ Mr. Spellerasked the Attorney-General what is the average delay in deciding upon applications for legal aid and for emergency legal aid.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe latest available figures for the length of time taken to issue a civil legal aid certificate are for the financial year 1984–85, when the average time taken was 39 working days. Figures for 1985–86 are not yet available. Separate figures for emergency legal aid applications are not collected, though I understand that the large majority are dealt with within a few days. In appropriate cases, approval can be give over the telephone.