NUMBERS GAME

The National Audit Office has again qualified the Lord Chancellors Departments (LCD) accounts on the grounds that some criminal courts are wrongly granting legal aid...The National Audit Office has again qualified the Lord Chancellors Departments (LCD) accounts on the grounds that some criminal courts are wrongly granting legal aid.

An NAO review of courts found that in 17% of cases, the court accepted some but not unequivocal evidence of eligibility, and in 2% of cases granted it wrongly or without any evidence.

The courts accepted good evidence of eligibility in 81% of cases.

The LCDs appropriation accounts have been qualified since 1990-91 for this reason.

Noting the LCDs efforts to tackle the problem, the NAO said the creation of the Criminal Defence Service and abolition of the means test from April 2001 will address the weaknesses in controls.