Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the consultation on the Criminal Legal Aid Review: An accelerated package of measures amending the criminal legal aid fee schemes, published in February 2020, how much was budgeted for the pre-charge engagement fee; and how much and what proportion of this funding has been spent by (a) litigators and (b) advocates as of 14 November 2022.

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.