§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of the Legal Aid Fund was spent on divorce cases in(a) 1970, (b) 1980 and (c) 1999; and how much was spent in each of those years in 1999 prices. [119764]
§ Mr. LockLegal Aid is not normally available for divorce proceedings. It is available however for matters ancillary to divorce, such as spousal maintenance and property issues, and for residence and contact matters relating to children.
In 1979–80 and 1998–99, expenditure on all proceedings relating to divorce and ancillary matters represented 30 per cent. and 18 per cent. of the total Legal Aid Fund respectively.
At 1999 prices, the amounts spent on matrimonial proceedings were:
- 1999: £175.5 million
- 1980: £65.0 million
Comparable figures for the year 1969–70 are not available.