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Home Local News Parliament Articles Speeches Richard Media South Norfolk Expenses Contact
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Legal Services Commission
must put its house in order, says MP |
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Poor financial controls at the
Legal Services Commission led to solicitors being overpaid by £25 million |
Commenting on the Commons public accounts committee’s report on the procurement of Legal Aid services in England and Wales, South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon, a member of the committee, said:
“Legal aid is an important part of our legal system and helps to ensure
that anyone arrested or tried for a crime can receive legal counsel.
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“However, this report shows that the Legal Services Commission, which runs the Legal Aid system, is in a hopeless muddle. “The Commission’s internal controls are weak and its poor financial management led to solicitors being overpaid for their services to the tune of £25 million and the Commission’s accounts for 2008-09 being qualified. There are also wide variations in the profits which solicitors have made from Legal Aid. “The various errors all occurred despite the Ministry of Justice’s spending £2 million a year overseeing Legal Aid policy. The Commission is yet another government body which has previously regarded the appointment of a qualified accountant to its senior management team as a nicety, rather than a necessity. “The Legal Services Commission cannot afford to be so careless with taxpayers’ money. The Commission needs to put its house in order and fast”.
2 February 2010 |
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