Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 22 June 2017, Official Report, column 168, on legal aid being available to families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, how that aid will be distributed; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that those people affected understand the legal aid process and have fair and independent access to legal representation.

The Government has announced that it will meet the costs of providing victims with legal representation at the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire. There is provision for providing such funding under section 40 of the Inquiries Act 2005. This is not Legal Aid. Details of the funding and how victims can access it will be announced by the inquiry in due course.

In addition, Legal Aid may be available to cover certain legal costs that victims may face outside the inquiry, such as advice about being re-housed.