§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of time and resources, on average, were spent on activities not directed to processing or furthering any individual cases(a) before and (b) after franchising and BS5750.
Mr. John M. Taylor(a) All but a small number of the Legal Aid Board's central staff have been involved in the processing or furthering of individual cases. On average the staff not involved, excluding Legal Aid Board members, have numbered 60: approximately 4 per cent. of the work force.
(b) The board's management systems accredited under BS5750 are the mechanism by which it processes work and therefore are an integral part of the resources directed to processing and furthering individual cases. A small central team of three staff is responsible for maintaining the documentation of the management system and ensuring the necessary control systems are in place to monitor compliance. The number of full-time equivalent staff employed on franchising will be between 70 and 80; approximately 5 per cent. of the board's employees.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of(a) civil and (b) criminal legal aid applications were processed by the Leeds legal aid board within (i) two weeks, (ii) six weeks and (iii) over six weeks for 1992–93.
Mr. John M. Taylor(a) In 1992–93 the Leeds area office of the Legal Aid Board processed 74.9 per cent. of civil legal aid applications within two weeks and 94.1 per cent. within six weeks; 5.9 per cent. took more than six weeks.
(b) The grant of criminal legal aid is for the most part the responsibility of the magistrates courts and the Crown court. However, in certain circumstances, area committees of the Legal Aid Board consider applications for review of refusal of grant by the courts. Information on the length of time taken to process applications for criminal legal aid or applications for review is not available.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what criteria the costs of successful legally aided litigants' costs are met out of the legal aid fund rather than by unsuccessful litigants; and what was the cost to the legal aid fund of the meeting of costs in this way in the last year for which figures are available.
761W
Mr. John M. TaylorThe order as to costs is a matter within the discretion of the courts. The information requested about the cost to the fund of paying successful legally aided litigants' costs is not available.