Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure greater equality between the amount spent on legal representation by (a) families who are publicly funded and (b) mental health trusts at inquests following the death of a relative in a mental health unit.

Legal aid is available for advice and assistance for all inquests, subject to a means and merits test. Inquests follow an inquisitorial process and legal aid support for representation is not typically applicable. Exceptional Case Funding may be available where certain inquests require legal representation. The Government wants to ensure that the bereaved are placed at the heart of the inquisitorial process and is taking forward a number of measures announced in the recent Review of Legal Aid for Inquests to make the inquest process more sympathetic to the needs of bereaved families; the Government also has work underway looking at the prevention of deaths of people who are in the care of the state.