Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Government spent on legal fees in the case of R (Ben Hoare Bell and Others) v Lord Chancellor [2015], case number CO/2770/2014.

Judicial Review is an important way of challenging decisions by public authorities and will remain so. However, the Government considers that limited legal aid resources should be targeted at those judicial review cases where they are needed most if the legal aid system is to command public confidence and credibility.

We are carefully considering the recent judgment in the case of R (Ben Hoare Bell and Others) v Lord Chancellor and our next steps.

As of 11 February 2015, the Ministry of Justice had incurred total legal fees (including fees paid to the litigation team in the Treasury Solicitor’s Department and to Counsel) of £47,555.43 (including VAT) in this case.