Legal Aid Scheme

(asked on 20th September 2021) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many legal aid (a) providers and (b) offices were practising in cases of (a) claims against public authorities, (b) community care, (c) discrimination, (d) education, (e) housing and debt, (f) immigration and asylum, (g) family law, (h) clinical negligence, (i) mental health, (j) public law, (k) welfare benefits in each year from September 2012 to September 2021.


Answered by
James Cartlidge Portrait
James Cartlidge
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This question was answered on 23rd September 2021

The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.

Operational system data on the volume of providers holding legal aid contracts at any given time is subject to change due to the internal management and updating of contract schedules, which may impact both real time and historic data.

Civil legal aid providers (firms) and offices in each year, broken down by category of law enquired about, from 2012 to most recent quarter:

Volume of Providers (firms)

Category of Law

Apr-12

Sep-12

Apr-13

Apr-14

Apr-15

Apr-16

Apr-17

Apr-18

Apr-19

Apr-20

Apr-21

Sep-21

Claims Against the Public Authorities

63

62

58

54

53

65

65

64

80

74

71

70

Community Care

85

84

83

71

91

87

81

76

94

88

83

82

Discrimination

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

17

18

17

Education

24

23

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

8

13

10

Housing and Debt

346

332

368

345

323

305

286

254

295

265

245

238

Immigration Asylum

197

194

239

226

199

182

166

141

203

189

176

172

Immigration Other*

198

195

Family

1,557

1,507

1,352

1,269

1,211

1,160

1,090

1,003

1,029

992

959

937

Clinical Negligence

169

166

166

156

142

107

106

100

100

99

95

93

Mental Health

172

171

168

160

176

169

158

147

156

147

135

135

Public Law

87

85

83

79

74

92

89

84

110

99

95

95

Welfare Benefits

286

274

0

14

15

15

16

14

52

41

38

36

Volume of Offices

Category of Law

Apr-12

Sep-12

Apr-13

Apr-14

Apr-15

Apr-16

Apr-17

Apr-18

Apr-19

Apr-20

Apr-21

Sep-21

Claims Against the Public Authorities

83

82

79

74

72

80

80

78

119

112

104

101

Community Care

140

139

131

115

163

142

136

124

146

137

129

127

Discrimination

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

23

22

21

Education

28

27

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

18

22

19

Housing and Debt

537

524

710

652

606

560

525

475

480

436

407

397

Immigration Asylum

228

224

405

376

323

285

262

229

303

281

263

257

Immigration Other*

229

225

Family

2,328

2,273

2,254

2,134

2,001

1,890

1,732

1,616

1,713

1,654

1,575

1,537

Clinical Negligence

291

285

285

267

248

196

191

180

175

170

164

159

Mental Health

193

192

189

179

200

189

173

161

181

172

159

157

Public Law

111

108

107

101

95

111

108

102

155

141

130

130

Welfare Benefits

364

353

0

13

15

14

15

13

50

39

36

34

*ceased as separate category

Reticulating Splines