A one word amendment proposed for the 3rd Reading Stage in the Lords next week on 27 March. This seems to change the clause which currently reads that the Lord Chancellor can remove services on a whim to stating he can add them.
A further raft of amendments added today including a draconian one allowing the Lord Chancellor to vary or omit services as well as adding them plus amendments relating to children from Cross Benchers
Post by Douglas Johnson on Mar 23, 2012 9:12:20 GMT
Isn’t this the government concession to the Lords defeat - the change will mean that areas can in future be brought in to the scope of legal aid whereas the original text would only allow further areas to be removed?
There are more good amendments from Baroness Grey-Thompson to allow children to get legal advice and from Baroness Howe to allow vulnerable people to get advice.
Other Government amendments include a further cut – removing legal aid for “any other orders or procedures under an enactment for the care, supervision or protection of children that are prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph.” (child protection issues).
There's some concession on Victims of trafficking in human beings – a new para in Schedule 1, although it looks like only for the most serious cases where “there has been a conclusive determination that the individual is a victim of trafficking in human beings.” How do you get this before you get legal aid?
