§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what account he has taken of research by the Law Society of Scotland into the differing levels of remuneration for civil legal aid work by solicitors in(a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales in assessing proposed changes to legal advice and assistance in civil legal aid in Scotland.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMy right hon. Friend has considered the comparisons made on behalf of the Law Society of Scotland in November 1990. These comparisons are not, however, directly relevant to the proposed changes to eligibility for advice and assistance and civil legal aid. Legal aid fees in Scotland are set to take account of the circumstances of the Scottish legal and legal aid systems.
§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the cost of administration of the civil legal aid system by the Scottish Legal Aid Board for each financial year since 1987–88; and if he will show this as a percentage of the net payments from the civil legal aid fund in respect of each year.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information is set out in the table:
845W
£ million 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 Administrative costs for civil legal aid 2.915 3.138 3.479 3.796 3.850 Net civil legal aid payments 11.694 11.379 10.769 11.715 12.343 Administrative costs as a percentage of net civil legal aid payments 24.400 27.600 32.300 32.400 31.200
§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in each of the past five years his permission has been sought prior to legal proceedings being instituted by the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonNone. There is no statutory requirement for the Scottish Legal Aid Board to obtain my right hon. Friend's permission before instituting legal proceedings.
§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number and source of representations he has received from the individual members or committees of the Scottish Legal Aid Board in relation to changes to legal advice and assistance and to civil legal aid to be instituted on 1 April.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonMy right hon. Friend has received no such representations from individual
£ million 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1 1992–93 2 1992–93 Gross civil legal aid payments 15.697 15.273 14.729 15.679 16.581 20.535 23.449 Gross civil legal aid payments adjusted to a 1987–88 base of 100 15.697 14.237 12.883 12.699 12.562 14.924 17.041 1 Actual to January 1993. 2 Estimate.
§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the net sum met from civil legal aid in each financial year since 1987–88 after deducting from gross payments those amounts recovered.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information is set out in the table.
Net civil legal aid payments £ million 1987–88 11.964 1988–89 11.379 1989–90 10.769 1990–91 11.715 1991–92 12.343