Schedule 1 — Civil legal services

Part of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill – in the House of Commons at 8:45 pm on 31 October 2011.

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Photo of Stephen Phillips Stephen Phillips Conservative, Sleaford and North Hykeham 8:45, 31 October 2011

May I say what an enormous pleasure it is to follow Karl Turner and to commend at least some of his comments to my colleagues, particularly to those seeking the promotion of my hon. and learned Friend Mr Cox? I make no comment about any other Queen’s counsel on this side of the House.

There is undoubtedly a fundamental problem with civil legal aid. The simple fact is that to bring cases for which legal aid is available to trial in this country costs more not only than it does in civil law systems that do not recognise the extensive discovery that we have here in England and Wales and in other jurisdictions of the United Kingdom, but more than it costs in other common law jurisdictions such as New Zealand and Australia and in other jurisdictions that have essentially inherited our legal system. That fundamental problem is one with which, because of the deficit we were left by the last Government, this Government have had to grapple. [Interruption.] I can see Mr Slaughter mouthing something from a sedentary position. If he wants to intervene, I am happy to allow him.