http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2009-06-23a.1453.0
It would be wrong for me to suggest that those speaking in the debate don't understand why legal aid is essential or why legal aid should not be the runt of the Social Welfare litter. However I can't help thinking that they don't. All Lord Bach seems worried about is the fact that The Treasury and the Prime Minister have told him "there is no more money". He and his predecessors just accept that and then try to make a litre of need fit into a pint pot.
Why is there an increased demand on legal aid? Legal aid spending is client led. One cannot get paid unless one has a legal aid client. Getting legal aid is not easy. So why do so many qualify? Where has the increase been?
http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/speech110609a.htm/
The main problem is that the Government, Ministry of Justice and Legal Services Commission have decided that the only answer is to cut, cut, cut. Cut the numbers of lawyers doing the work and cut the spending on it. At the same time they introduced Call Centres and so called one stop shops to provide legal advice. They refer to this as "acts of assistance" as if helping people is enough. It is resolving issues that counts and allowing people to access good quality lawyers so they get good quality advice.
There are alternatives
http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/newsandevents/news/view=newsarticle.law?NEWSID=421075/
The latest crazy idea is BVT. It just does not make sense. No-one believes it will work or deliver what the Government, Ministry of Justice or Legal Services commission wants from it. It is a mish-mash of biz-speak, experiment and utter nonsense. http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/bestvaluetendering
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