Legal aid solicitors have this week called for their rates of pay to be pegged to that of Legal Services Commission (LSC) staff after it emerged that employees of the organisation have had above-inflation annual pay rises for the past five years.

Responding to a question in Parliament, legal aid minister David Lammy revealed that LSC staff received salary increases of 3.6% last year, 4.3% in 2002 and 2001, and 4% for the two years previous to that.

Richard Miller, director of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, questioned whether the rises were necessary to ensure a continued supply of LSC staff.

'I would be quite happy for increases in legal aid rates to be tied to increases in rates for LSC staff - or vice versa,' he added.

'That would seem to me to be an entirely satisfactory position all round.'

An LSC spokesman said the increases were in line with those awarded in other public-sector bodies.

'The pay review settlements are the result of discussions between the LSC, the Department for Constitutional Affairs and HM Treasury,' he added.

Paula Rohan