HC Deb 20 January 1993 vol 217 cc259-60W
Mr. Bayley

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate the total expenditure on(a) green form assistance, (b) legal aid for civil cases and (c) legal aid for criminal cases that will be authorised in 1993–94 (i) in England and (ii) in the Yorkshire region on the assumption that the current eligibility rules continue to apply and also on the assumption that the new eligibility criteria which were proposed at the time of the autumn statement are introduced on 1 April.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The only estimates available for 1993–94 are those for England and Wales as a whole. For England and Wales it is estimated that following the abolition of contributory green form assistance, £138.7 million will be spent on legal advice and assistance in 1993–94; £142.4 million would be spent if there were no changes to financial eligibility. It is estimated that £508.7 million will be spent on civil legal aid in 1993–94 and that £548.2 million would be spent if there were no changes to financial eligibility. The changes will have little effect on total expenditure on criminal legal aid which it is estimated will be £570 million in 1993–94.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate for England and for the Yorkshire region the number of applications for(a) green form assistance and (b) civil legal aid that will be approved in 1992–93; and how many would be eligible under the new rules.

Mr. John M. Taylor

For England and Wales as a whole it is estimated that in 1992–93, a total of 1,461,000 bills will be paid for legal advice and assistance under the green form scheme and that 413,000 civil legal aid certificates will be issued. For the Yorkshire and Humberside region, not including Hambledon, Richmond, Ryedale or Scarborough, it is estimated that in 1992–93, 120,000 bills will be paid for advice and assistance under the green form scheme and that 40,000 civil legal aid certificates will be issued. It is not possible to estimate how many of these green form bills would have been paid, or these civil legal aid certificates issued, had the new eligibility limits been in force.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate for England and for the Yorkshire region the number of applications for(a) green form assistance and (b) civil legal aid that will be approved in 1993–94 (i) on the assumption that the current eligibility rules are unchanged and (ii) on the assumption that the new eligibility criteria proposed at the time of the autumn statement are introduced on 1 April; and if he will estimate how many of those receiving legal aid under the new criteria would receive less aid in cash terms than they would have received under the old rules.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The only estimates available for 1993–94 are those for England and Wales as a whole. It is estimated that in 1993–94 under the current financial eligibility regulations, 1,548,000 bills for legal advice and assistance under the green form scheme would have been paid, and that 452,000 civil legal aid certificates would have been issued. Under the new regulations it is estimated that around 1,400,000 green form bills will be paid and 333,000 civil legal aid certificates will be issued. It is not possible to estimate the number of people who will receive less aid in cash terms under the new criteria.