PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Legal Aid Scheme: Housing (27 June 2019)

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) keeps availability of legal aid providers under constant review, and takes urgent action whenever it has concerns.

The LAA has recently tendered for new face-to-face housing contracts across the 134 housing and debt procurement areas across England and Wales. Contracts commenced on 1 September 2018. As of 31 May 2019, there is at least one provider offering housing and debt services in all but 4 procurement areas. Legal advice is still available in these areas through the Civil Legal Advice telephone service, and the LAA is considering how to secure provision in these areas and will set out next steps shortly.

In addition to the Civil Legal Advice telephone service offering legal services in a range of issues to those who need it, we are investing £5m in innovative new technologies to help people access legal support wherever they are in England and Wales.