Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards preventing those needing letters from GPs to access legal aid being charged for such letters.

We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care to identify what more we can do to help victims of domestic abuse access the help they need.

The Government has committed to reviewing Cross-Government Bureaucracy in General Practice, and will assess as part of this work, amongst other things, who the correct clinicians are to complete such documentation and what charge, if any, should be imposed. The British Medical Association have written to GPs to recommend that they do not charge victims of domestic abuse for the completion and signing of legal aid letters whilst this work is ongoing.

Earlier this year the Ministry of Justice widened the evidence requirements for domestic abuse victims, making it easier for victims to obtain and provide the evidence they need to access legal aid.