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Written question asked by Emily Thornberry (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 June 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 June 2023 (named day). It was answered by Mike Freer (Conservative) on Monday, 19 June 2023 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Legal Aid Scheme: Manchester and Middlesbrough

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department’s Early Legal Advice Pilot Scheme, how many clients received legal advice under the terms of the scheme in (a) Manchester and (b) Middlesbrough from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023; and when he will publish the independent evaluation of the impact of the support provided to those clients.

Answer

From November 2022 to March 2023, approximately 27,000 invitations were sent to residents of Manchester and Middlesbrough who were identified as having early-stage housing-related debt, inviting them to participate in the Early Legal Advice Pilot (ELAP).

104 people completed the survey to apply to participate (which was necessary for data collection and protection purposes). According to Legal Aid Agency records in May 2023, three individuals from Middlesbrough requested and attended the free legal advice sessions under the pilot and there was no take-up in Manchester up to 31 March 2023. This highlights the challenges of engaging individuals dealing with early-stage housing, debt and social welfare issues.

It is important to note that this phase of the pilot was primarily designed to identify potential issues before considering a larger-scale rollout, rather than aiming to maximise the number of clients served. The evaluation has gathered valuable insights on the nature and implementation of such pilots as well as the barriers to engagement. The evaluation report is currently being finalised and is expected to be published by the end of summer 2023.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
189505
Session
2022-23
Related items
Subjects
Legal aid scheme Greater Manchester Pilot schemes Middlesbrough
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk