§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps the Government are taking to cut(a) costs and (b) waste in the justice system. [146676]
§ Mr. LeslieThe question covers a wide range of initiatives being undertaken by Government Departments and agencies involved in the justice system and could be answered fully only at disproportionate cost.
In this Department the principal measures to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of the justice system include: the creation of the unified courts administration in April 2005, combining the present Court Service with the magistrates' courts; the Tribunal for Users Programme that will create a single new agency responsible for the majority of tribunal; and savings of £210 million in legal aid to be made over the three years to March 2006 from very high cost criminal cases and asylum, civil and criminal legal aid generally.