Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Andy Slaughter Excerpts
Tuesday 14th January 2020

(4 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Wendy Morton Portrait Wendy Morton
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I welcome another new Member to the Chamber today for MOJ oral questions.

We have made it very clear that we remain committed not only to providing legal aid to those who need it, but to developing further means of legal support including the expansion of early legal advice to help some of the most vulnerable people in society with social welfare problems such as housing. We are committed to finding effective solutions, because it is often early legal advice that makes the difference.

Andy Slaughter Portrait Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith) (Lab)
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Will the Minister share with us any plans she has to reverse the hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts to legal aid budgets under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 that have been so destructive of access to justice in this country?

Wendy Morton Portrait Wendy Morton
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I think it is fair to say that I have been setting out some of the action points that we are taking forward. We have had the post-implementation review of LASPO, and are looking at various means of legal support to help with social welfare issues. We could not be clearer that we support legal aid and legal support for those who need it, and we will continue to do so.