HC Deb 22 March 1993 vol 221 cc443-5W
Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action he intends to take to ensure that all outstanding legal fees owed to lawyers by the civil legal aid scheme are paid promptly; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John M. Taylor

Costs in civil legal aid cases do not become due until after they have been taxed by the court or assessed by the Legal Aid Board. The Legal Aid Board is responsible for payment of such costs after taxation or assessment and it is already their aim to pay them as promptly as possible. For the year 1992–93 the board had a target of paying 65 per cent. of solicitors' civil legal aid bills within six weeks of receipt, including assessment when appropriate. In the financial year to date, that is 1 April 1992 to 28 February 1993, this target has been surpassed, with almost 73 per cent. of bills being paid within that time.

Mr. Moss

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the estimated number of take-ups of legal aid offers in each of the next three years.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The estimated number of civil legal aid certificates and criminal legal aid orders for each of the next three years is as follows:

Thousands
1993–94 1994–95 1995–96
Legal aid certificates 302 329 357
Legal aid orders 614 622 630

Mr. Moss

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the number of legal aid orders issued in criminal cases in each of the last three years.

Mr. John Taylor

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 11 March at column644. Complete figures for 1992 are not yet available.

Mr. Moss

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of offers of legal aid with payment of a contribution fell into arrears of contributions in each of the last three years.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The total number of civil cases where contributions were in arrears in each of the last three years was as follows:

Number
1989–90 36,438
1990–91 43,243
1991–92 38,672

Mr. Moss

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of offers of legal aid with payment of a contribution failed to be rectified by reassessment of payment or arrears, leading to a discharge of the certificate, in each of the last three years.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The information sought is not available in the form requested.

Mr. Moss

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to extend the consultation period for his proposals for changes to the legal aid procedure.

Mr. John M. Taylor

I have laid statutory instruments before this House to implement the changes to legal aid eligibility and will shortly be laying instruments to make other changes in relation to fees and payments made to lawyers in criminal legal aid cases.

Mr. Moss

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the effect of his new proposals for legal aid eligibility on the level of income to the compensation recovery unit in each of the next three years.

Mr. John M. Taylor

No precise estimate has been made. Details held by the compensation recovery unit do not distinguish between those cases which have the benefit of legal aid and others. It is however likely that the practical effects of the legal aid proposals will be small. A large majority of the amounts recovered so far by the compensation recovery unit relate to employer liability and motor liability cases, and a great many of those will have been supported by trade unions or insurers respectively.

Mr. Moss

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of offers of legal aid with payment of a contribution were not accepted under the current legal aid arrangements, in each of the last three years.

Mr. John M. Taylor

The number of contributory civil legal aid certificates issued and the number of offers of contributory civil legal aid made but not accepted in the last three years are as follows:

Year Contributory legal aid certificates issued Contributory legal aid Offered but not taken up Offers not taken up as percentage of offers made
1989–90 53,725 16,813 23.8
1990–91 55,339 16,164 22.6
1991–92 56,830 19,179 25.2

Mr. Moss

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the estimated saving, after allowing for the statutory charge, which will result from the scrapping of the contribution taper for green form advice.

Mr. John M. Taylor

It is difficult to identify separately the effects of each element in the package of changes which has been announced. However, it is likely that the changes to eligibility for green form will save about £11 million by 1995–96.