Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund free (1) advice, and (2) law, centres; and how long any such funding will be available.

Since 2015, the Ministry of Justice has invested more than £25 million in support for litigants in person and funding a broad range of free legal support services.

This week, the Ministry of Justice announced a new £10.4m ‘Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support’ grant. This grant will run from July 2023 until March 2025 and will be administered by the Access to Justice Foundation on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. The grant will continue to help thousands of people get access to early legal support from organisations who provide legal advice.

More broadly, Legal Aid provides free or low-cost legal advice and representation to people who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer, subject to the relevant means and merits criteria. Legal aid is available for legal advice on criminal, family, housing, immigration and welfare law.