Sentencing Reform/Legal Aid Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Sentencing Reform/Legal Aid

Rehman Chishti Excerpts
Tuesday 21st June 2011

(13 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rehman Chishti Portrait Rehman Chishti (Gillingham and Rainham) (Con)
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I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement and, in particular, the abolition of legal aid for squatters resisting eviction. Can he clarify how much was spent on that in the past 10 years?

Lord Clarke of Nottingham Portrait Mr Clarke
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No. I shall have to write to my hon. Friend with that information, but I am grateful for his welcome. I do not know whether anyone would oppose this, but it is plainly wrong to make legal aid ordinarily available to people who, by definition, are squatting in properties for which they do not have a legal claim.