§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will outline the policy which underlies the decision not to operate the legal aid system for applicants in industrial tribunals.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonBecause tribunal procedures are not adversarial, and are intended to be comparatively informal, it should not be necessary for persons appearing before them to have legal representation.
Legal advice and assistance is however available to an eligible applicant for general advice on a case coming before a tribunal, and for assistance with preparatory work.