Written question asked by Lord Bellingham (Conservative) on Wednesday, 10 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 17 March 2010. It was answered by Bridget Prentice (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 March 2010 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Legal Aid: Gurkhas

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much legal aid has been paid to Howe and Co. for the provision of immigration advice to former Gurkha soldiers;

Answer: The Legal Services Commission records the number of claims from providers for immigration cases but not in greater detail. There is therefore no record of the number of ex-Gurkhas granted legal aid in respect of their application to settle in the UK or the legal aid costs involved in their application.However immigration entry clearance applications funded through legal aid are paid at a fixed fee of £260 plus any disbursements, unless they are exceptional. In the last two years Howe and Co. have made claims for 52 cases that include applications for entry clearance. As stated above it is not possible to confirm how many of these relate to ex-Gurkhas.

Secondary information