§ Lord Monkswellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the introduction of the proposed conditional fee scheme into the legal system of England and Wales will create a cost to the British economy; if so, what is their estimate of that cost; and what proportion of that cost will be borne by public funds, and what proportion by private individuals or corporations.
§ The Lord ChancellorIndividual conditional fee agreements will be private matters between solicitors and their clients which will not in themselves have any appreciable impact on public funds. It is the Government's view that the conditional fee scheme will provide a valuable means of improving access to justice, the benefits of which will significantly outweigh any potential costs. The operation of conditional fees will be monitored and the arrangements will be reviewed after an appropriate period.