Legal Aid Scheme: Criminal Proceedings

(asked on 3rd November 2015) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to take steps in response to recent allegations made by a former employee of the Legal Aid Agency about irregularities regarding the staffing and process in assessing duty tender bids.


Answered by
Shailesh Vara Portrait
Shailesh Vara
This question was answered on 6th November 2015

The individual making these allegations was a member of temporary staff employed in a junior role. Tenders were awarded following a rigorous and fair process


Assessors received comprehensive training, which included a face-to-face instructor-led interactive workshop, undertaken by a permanent member of staff with specific experience of the tender process. This also included undertaking practical exercises in tender evaluation and bid-comparison processes, such as consideration of model answers to assure consistency in assessment. Furthermore, the entire process was subject to careful moderation and management.

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