Overview

There are risks to value for money from the way the Legal Services Commission (the LSC) administers and procures legal aid for criminal cases. In 2008-09, the Commission spent more than GBP 1.1 billion on criminal legal aid - legal assistance for people suspected of or charged with a criminal offence. The Procurement of Criminal Legal Aid in England and Wales by the Legal Services Commission (HC 29) recommends that the LSC should do more to understand the market for criminal legal aid to make the most of its ability to control price and quality. In particular, while the Commission holds good information locally about its suppliers it does not bring this information together centrally. The LSC is undergoing a major transformation to reduce administrative costs and to improve effectiveness and has implemented some significant market reforms in the last few years. However, it has not always piloted reforms or evaluated their impact, nor has it confirmed the financial savings generated. The NAO also found that the Commission is not always making accurate payments to solicitors for criminal legal aid, overpaying by GBP 25 million in 2008-09. An NAO survey of solicitors has also revealed tensions in the relationship between the profession and the LSC.

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