Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
MoJ failed to detail alternative legal aid routes for those unable to use remote advice.
Recommendation
In its Treasury Minute response to our predecessor’s 2024 report, MoJ acknowledged that while remote advice can be effective, some people will always require face-to-face advice. It said that it had worked with stakeholders to identify safeguards and better understand the impact of remote provision, for example, for those in custody. It stated that where remote advice is not appropriate, the LAA may intervene directly by calling providers to find a firm with capacity. But it did not set out clear details on alternative routes for those unable to access remote advice. Nor did it mention how it planned to improve its understanding of remote provision on different groups.28 25 Committee of Public Accounts, Value for money from legal aid, Thirty-Third Report of Session 2023-24, HC 481, 24 May 2024. 26 Law Society of England and Wales (MOJ0002) 27 HC Committee of Public Accounts, Value for money from legal aid, Thirty-Third Report of Session 2023-24, HC 481, 24 May 2024. 28 HMT, Treasury Minutes, 5 September 2024 11
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 1 April 2026. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗