HC Deb 21 March 2003 vol 401 cc985-6W
Mr. Kidney

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment she has made of the adequacy of measures taken to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of legal practitioners undertaking publicly funded legal work. [102854]

Ms Rosie Winterton

I am satisfied that adequate measures have been taken to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of legal practitioners undertaking publicly funded legal work. My Department and the Legal Services Commission (LSC) monitor monthly the coverage of publicly funded civil and criminal legal service suppliers. For civil legal services, this is done through analysis of the numbers of contracted firms on a regional basis by the Regional Legal Services Committees. The adequacy of criminal legal services is monitored by the LSC's Criminal Defence Service executive, which has information about the extent of provision through contracts with criminal legal aid suppliers, and which monitors duty solicitor availability through management of duty solicitor rotas.