Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the response to the Legal Aid Agency data breach on the implementation of the means test review proposals.

This is an unprecedented event and an evolving situation, and every effort is being made to restore systems following the criminal attack on our services. The impact on the system has affected implementation and delivery of intended legal aid fee uplifts in both crime and civil – we are working at pace to operationalise those commitments. More generally, the Government continues to give consideration to the financial criteria that governs legal aid eligibility.