§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in what circumstances legal aid is given in cases of medical negligence; and how many cases of medical negligence were supported by legal aid in each of the last three years.
Mr. John M. TaylorAll applicants for legal aid must have reasonable grounds for taking or defending a court action and must qualify financially. The upper financial limit for all personal injury cases, including medical negligence, is higher than that for other categories of case. 337W Applicants for legal aid for personal injury cases qualify with assessed disposable income up to 7,500—£6,800 for other cases—and with disposable capital up to £8,560—£6,750 for other cases. The number of certificates issued to plaintiffs in medical negligence actions are as follows:
Number 1989–90 6,439 1990–91 8,870 1991–92 18,658