Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board, what the timeline is for the appointment of a chair of that board; what assessment he has made of the diversity of the membership of that board; and how often that board is expected to meet.

The Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board (CLAAB) was established following Lord Bellamy’s Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review (CLAIR) recommendation that an Advisory Board be established to take a wider view and encourage a more joined-up approach to criminal legal aid within the criminal justice system.

Board meetings take place quarterly and there have been two meetings to date - the first on 28 October 2022 and the second on 24 January 2023.

The first CLAAB meeting took place in October 2022, where CLAAB membership was discussed.

The CLAAB’s membership covers the main representative bodies, including the Bar Council, the Law Society, Criminal Bar Association, London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association, Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) and Ministry of Justice officials, ensuring the Lord Chancellor receives a diverse range of expert views. In addition to the CLAAB, there are a series of sub-groups which include a wide range of subject matter experts to focus on specific areas of reform.

We are currently considering the issue of the Chair of the Board and will make an announcement in due course.