Oral Answers to Questions

Kim Johnson Excerpts

Tuesday 29th June 2021 Commons Chamber

[Robert Buckland]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising an issue of genuine and widespread public concern. He will note that the phraseology in the Bill talks about memorials, which of course would include memorials such as the one to Sir Winston Churchill. The important point is that we can now move away from the court determining on the mere cost of repair to criminal damage to look at the overall cultural and emotional value of statues like that one, and indeed, ordinary “unvisited tombs”, to quote George Eliot, of people who have a great value to the local community and to their loved ones.

[Kim Johnson (Liverpool, Riverside) (Lab)]

The Merseyside and Vauxhall law centres in Liverpool, Riverside are extremely concerned about how constituents access the legal advice that they need in the light of the drastic impact of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 cuts on legal aid, court waiting times and availability of advice. How does the Minister intend to ensure that the sector can provide access to justice in a properly functioning legal system for those facing problems with rent arrears, welfare benefits, employment, immigration, crime and domestic violence in the wake of the pandemic?

[Alex Chalk]

I thank the hon. Lady for paying tribute to law centres; she is absolutely right to do that. They do an important job of ensuring that individuals—sometimes vulnerable individuals—can get that vital legal advice and access to justice that they need. That is why, at the beginning of the pandemic, when the message came out that they might face real threats to their viability, we stepped in. The Law Centres Network asked for £3 million and we provided that. It was distributed through the network to ensure that law centres have the funds they need to continue their excellent work.