Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of legal aid provision.

This Government has inherited a justice system in crisis, and the previous administration left the legal aid sector is under significant strain. We are committed to restoring our justice system and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the legal aid sector.

We recently concluded a consultation on uplifts to some areas of civil legal aid fees. Once fully implemented, this would inject an additional £20 million into the sector each year. We are currently reviewing consultation responses and will publish the Government response in due course. We will continue to consider the fees paid in other categories of civil legal aid, and the wider themes from the Review, in order to support the long-term sustainability of the civil legal aid sector.

On criminal legal aid, in November 2024 we announced our response to the Crime Lower consultation, confirming an uplift to the lowest police station fees, introducing a new Youth Court fee scheme, and paying for travel time in certain circumstances. Together, these changes amount to a £24 million investment for criminal legal aid providers.

In addition, in December 2024, we announced that criminal legal aid solicitors will receive up to £92 million more a year to help address the ongoing challenges in the criminal justice system, subject to consultation. We are also committed to continuing to work with the criminal legal aid profession, including the Bar, on further opportunities for reform this Parliament and to support the overall sustainability, diversity, and efficiency of the system.