§ Harry CohenTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many family applications have been made for legal aid for representation at an inquest since 1997; and how many have been granted. [38818]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonPublic funding is not generally available for representation at inquests. However, under section 6(8)(b) of the Access to Justice Act 1999, the Lord198W Chancellor has the power to authorise the Legal Services Commission to grant funding for representation at inquests in exceptional cases.
Since April 2000, 182 applications for exceptional funding for representation at inquests have been received and 90 granted. The vast majority of those granted were for representation for family members, although there may be a very few cases where non-family members have been granted funding.
Before April 2000, the Lord Chancellor exercised a discretionary power under Part 2 of the Legal Aid Act 1988 to grant funding for representation at a very small number of inquests.