Legal Aid Payments

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest Excerpts

Thursday 17th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Clarke]

We will certainly consider that request carefully. Of course, if the hon. Lady or any other Member asks for specific information, or says that they do not have enough information, we will certainly do our best to respond and give the information required.

[Mr Tom Watson (West Bromwich East) (Lab)]

Will the Secretary of State quantify the additional tax-funded resources that have been allocated to support asylum seekers who are affected by the problem?

[Mr Clarke]

I have to say that I do not yet have at my fingertips the precise increase in recent years in legal aid dependent on immigration cases, or the additional amounts that may have been provided in recent years, but initial amounts of funding were provided for a very large number of purposes by the last Government, and most of those cases are now having to be looked at again.