Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Impact Assessment for his Department's consultation on the Criminal Legal Aid Review: An accelerated package of measures amending the criminal legal aid fee schemes, published in August 2020, how much and what proportion of the funding set out in that impact assessment has been spent (a) on each item by (i) litigators and (ii) advocates in the period since September 2021; how much and what proportion of the funding is yet to be spent; and if he will make a comparative assessment of the level of funding that was (a) set out in that impact assessment and (b) spent in the same period.

In relation to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on Criminal Legal Aid Review: An accelerated package of measures amending the criminal legal aid fee schemes, the associated Impact Assessment and a breakdown of the expenditure are published online and can be found online at:

• Impact Assessment: Criminal Legal Aid Review: an accelerated package of measures amending the criminal legal aid fee schemes (publishing.service.gov.uk).
• Breakdown of expenditure: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1107342/legal-aid-statistics-clar-apr-jun-2022.ods.

In relation to pre-charge engagement, £9,000 was spent in 2021-22. The Impact Assessment relating to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on Criminal Legal Aid: Renumeration of pre-charge engagement and information on pre-charge engagement spend are also published online and can be found at:

• Impact Assessment: Impact Assessment template (publishing.service.gov.uk).
• Pre-charge engagement spend: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1107333/legal-aid-statistics-tables-apr-jun-2022.ods.