Select committee: Justice Committee
Recommendation 38
3rd Report – Access to Justice: Legal Aid
Published 17 Jul 2026
Addressed to Ministry of Justice
Justice Committee Access to Justice All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The government must take an active role to plug gaps in legal aid provision. The Lord Chancellor should use their powers under section 2(2) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 to either direct grants to providers in areas with excess demand, or increase delegated authority to the Legal Aid Agency to provide contractual incentives for providers in underserved areas. (Recommendation, Paragraph 115)
From: Justice Committee, 3rd Report – Access to Justice: Legal Aid (HC 541), 17 July 2026
Government response
No government response linked yet: deadline 15 October 2026, 17 days ago.