§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he has taken in the last three years in respect of individuals submitting applications for legal aid which give false or misleading information about their personal circumstances. [7953]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThis is a matter for the Scottish Legal Aid Board, and I have no power to intervene. The board may employ a range of measures in these circumstances, including issuing a warning letter, terminating the grant of legal aid, recovering legal aid granted on the basis of false information, or in the worst case, reporting the applicant to the police or the procurator fiscal.