The Earl of Dartmouthasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the cost of legal aid for asylum seekers in (a) 1998 and (b) 1988. [HL889]
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)The information requested is not available. The data collected by the Legal Aid Board and the courts does not identify separately applications made for legal aid by asylum seekers. However, the amount paid out for Legal Advice and Assistance in respect of all 75WA immigration and nationality matters, for 1988 and 1998 was as follows.
£000's 1987–88 1997–98 629 35,218 We are taking measures which will help to bring expenditure on legal advice and assistance for immigration matters under control, and to improve the quality of advice that people receive. In particular, from 1 January 2000, it is intended that all legally aided civil advice and assistance will be provided by quality assured suppliers, under contract with the Legal Aid 76WA Board. The incompetent and unscrupulous advisers who have contributed to the rapid and sometimes wasteful growth in expenditure on immigration and asylum work will no longer qualify.
In October 1998, following publication of the board's report on Reforming the Civil Advice and Assistance Scheme, I asked the board to study immigration and asylum issues further, focusing on measures to deal with the potential shortfall in suppliers after the introduction of exclusive contracting; alternative methods of providing services; and the need to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the immigration appeals system. The board will soon be delivering its report to me and it will be published in due course.