Westminster update: new funding for legal aid

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What you need to know

1. Criminal legal aid: a welcome first step

The government took a small but positive first step on criminal legal aid this week with the announcement of a £24 million funding boost for criminal legal aid on Thursday 14 November.

This will see additional funding for police station and youth court work for criminal legal aid practitioners.

In a move long called for by the Law Society, the Ministry of Justice will also reimburse travel time for solicitors who work or commute to work in areas with fewer than two legal aid providers, as well as the Isle of Wight.

The funding for police station work is a slight increase on the amount that was proposed in a consultation earlier this year.

The lord chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, described this as a “first step” to stabilising the sector, which “was left neglected for years”.

The announcement acknowledged that the future of criminal legal aid fees is still being considered as the Ministry of Justice makes spending decisions following its increased budget.

We are pleased to see this step, which our president Richard Atkinson has described as “extremely encouraging”, especially the recognition that this is just the first step that is needed to stabilise the sector.

Over the weeks to come we will be working with the Ministry of Justice and the lord chancellor to secure the funding the criminal justice system needs and to encourage them to set out these plans by the end of the year.

2. Solicitor general pressed on Axiom Ince report

On Thursday 14 November, the solicitor general, Sarah Sackman, took to the despatch box to answer oral questions about fraud, victims and regulation.

Ben Maguire (the Liberal Democrats’ shadow attorney general) asked about the Legal Services Board’s report on the Axiom Ince fraud case.

He said that the Solicitors Regulation Authority has dismissed the “damning” report as “merely an opinion” and asked what the law officers were doing to make sure that the SRA is properly regulated so the public can have full confidence in the legal system.

The solicitor general said that while it would not be proper for her to comment on the specific case, the government will be “working to ensure that regulators are working effectively with investigators in the public interest”.

She added that the department is committed to raising standards and rebuilding trust in the justice system.

Questions relating to violence against women and girls were also put to the solicitor general, with Sarah Coombes (Labour) asking how prosecutors are working with the police to tackle domestic abuse.

The solicitor general said that this week a new domestic abuse joint justice plan between police and prosecutors has been launched.

She said that the plan will see them working more closely together to support victims, in order to deliver swifter investigation and justice for all.

Will Stone (Labour) said that convictions for domestic abuse have plummeted over the last eight years and the time taken to charge cases has increased dramatically.

The solicitor general replied that “we are beginning to see a rebound in those figures, but much more needs to be done”.

3. Powers of attorney: Labour MP advocates for further reform

On Tuesday 12 November, Fabian Hamilton (Labour) brought forward a 10-minute rule bill to simplify the lasting power of attorney process.

He called current processes “short-sighted”, and said that his bill focuses on removing the incentive for individuals to take advantage of older people.

He said that “there must be new powers for the relevant authorities to hold the Office of the Public Guardian to account on dealing with potential cases of abuse”.

The bill follows changes to lasting power of attorney made in the last parliament, which sought to digitalise the process and reduce delays in certifications.

Hamilton’s bill has been listed for a second reading debate on Friday 17 January 2025.

As with all backbench bills, it remains to be seen whether time will be available for this debate to take place.

Coming up

We are working closely with MPs and peers to influence a number of bills before parliament:

• Arbitration Bill second reading in the Commons, date to be announced
• Data (Access and Use) Bill second reading in the Lords on 19 November
• Employment Rights Bill begins committee stage in the Commons on 26 November
• Mental Health Bill second reading in the Lords on 25 November
• Product Regulation and Metrology Bill begins committee stage in the Lords on 20 November
• Renters' Rights Bill report stage in the Commons on a date to be announced