Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was spent on legal aid for asylum cases in each year since 2019.

Legal aid is available to fund legal advice and representation provided to individuals seeking asylum in England and Wales, subject to an assessment of merits and financial eligibility.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) publishes information regarding the cost of legal aid provided in respect of asylum matters funded as Controlled Work. The information requested can be found at column G of table 5.3. Controlled Work covers the provision of legal advice regarding asylum matters and representation before the First Tier (Immigration and Asylum) Tribunal.

The LAA also publishes information about the cost of Legal Representation pertaining to immigration and asylum matters (see table 6.5). However, due to the way in which this information is recorded on LAA systems expenditure specifically in relation to asylum cases could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.