Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Dubs (Labour). It was answered on Wednesday, 13 July 2011.

Immigration: Advisory Service

Question: Is there not a danger that with the cutback in money for legal aid, it is not possible for other organisations to fill the gap left by the Immigration Advisory Service? Is not the real problem that asylum seekers will be caught in limbo, possibly becoming destitute because there is no one to represent them properly?

Answer: This is a problem in the IAS, which projected that it would have a return profit of £500,000 even with the proposed legal aid reforms. This is not an issue about legal aid reforms but a problem in the IAS: a large debt that it cannot address and which the Legal Services Commission has decided should not be written off. Many other organisations want to take on this work. Carolyn Downs, the chief executive of the Legal Services Commission, said in the other place yesterday: "““we have a huge number of people contacting us who are prepared to take on that work””.—[Official Report, Commons, Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill Committee, 12/7/11; col. 72.]"

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 729 c721
Session: 2010-12
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Asylum Legal aid scheme Immigration Insolvency Immigration Advisory Service
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk