Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to ensure an adequate level of legal support and advice to provide for the projected increase in unaccompanied child asylum seekers dispersed to Ipswich under the National Transfer Scheme.
The LAA will shortly complete the procurement process for new civil legal contracts which included immigration advice. The majority of contracts commenced on 1 September 2018 however there are still a small number of contracts that have not yet commenced.
Once the procurement process is completed the LAA will assess whether there are any gaps in provision and what steps need to be taken to fill the gaps. We are aware of the concerns raised in relation to access in the East of England and have had this under review for some time. This is one of the first areas that we will consider once all the contracts have started.