§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) when the Legal 789W Service Commission will publish its guidance on the circumstances in which legal aid funding may be made available for representation at inquests; and if he will make a statement; [12737]
(2) when he plans to issue his consultation paper on the funding for representation at inquests; and if he will make a statement. [12738]
§ Mr. WillsThe Lord Chancellor recently authorised the Legal Services Commission to decide applications for exceptional funding in inquests without reference to Ministers. At the same time, new guidance has taken effect in which the Lord Chancellor slightly amended the way applications in inquests would be dealt with. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, North-East (Brian White) on 1 November 2001,Official Report, column 856W. The Commission is preparing additional guidance for practitioners on the making of applications, which it intends to publish on 15 November in the next issue of "Focus". The text is already available on the Commission's website, www.legalservices.gov.uk. In the circumstances, we have no plans to issue a consultation document in the near future.