Post by jman on Oct 31, 2011 12:36:38 GMT 1
Sound Off for Justice reports on the Law Society's launch of "The Missing Millions"-their report on the economic illiteracy of the legal aid cuts-launched today.
"Law Society launches ‘Missing Millions’ report ahead of third reading of the LASPO bill0 CommentsOctober 31st, 2011 With the third reading of the Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders bill in parliament this week, where the government is proposing cutting £350 million from the UK legal aid budget, the Law Society and Sound Off For Justice has today launched the ‘Missing Millions’ report, demonstrating how the government’s figures are flawed and not based on any real analysis.
Ministry of Justice must account for missing millions, Sound off For Justice says
• Law Society’s “Missing Millions” report demonstrates how the government’s figures are flawed and not based on any real analysis.
• The Ministry of Justice savings are overstated and they will cost the taxpayer more than they save.
The Law Society has issued it’s sternest warning yet that the government is running out of time to address huge anomalies in the Ministry of Justice’s projected figures to be discussed today as the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (LAPSO) returns to the House of Commons for its third reading.
In a new report launched today, “Mission Millions: Government plans cost more than they save” the Law Society has concluded that the Government has drastically overstated savings issued by the Ministry of Justice, and that proposed savings risk costing more to the taxpayer than they will save.
Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, Vice-president, the Law Society said, “The impact assessments published with the bill include 30 admissions by the MoJ that it is speculating on the likely effects of its proposals.”
She continued, “The number of cases that will lose legal aid has risen from 568,000 in the legal aid green paper last year to 645,000 in the Bill now before Parliament. But the claimed saving to taxpayers has risen by only £1m, from £279m to £280m. No explanation is given for the fact that the cost of the additional cases that will be lost appears to be under £1.50 each. In an era of austerity it makes no sense for Government to continue to ignore the alternative savings plan offered by the Law Society and Sound off For Justice.”
For Press Office / Further Information / Interviews
Please contact Unity:
Georgie Weedon
georgie@hellounity.com
T: 0207 440 9827 M: 07812 609 756
OR
Kej Olutimayin
Kej@hellounity.com
T: 0207 440 9814 M : 07841 708 404"
soundoffforjustice.org/press-release-law-society-launches-missing-millions-report-ahead-of-third-reading-of-the-laspo-bill
"Law Society launches ‘Missing Millions’ report ahead of third reading of the LASPO bill0 CommentsOctober 31st, 2011 With the third reading of the Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders bill in parliament this week, where the government is proposing cutting £350 million from the UK legal aid budget, the Law Society and Sound Off For Justice has today launched the ‘Missing Millions’ report, demonstrating how the government’s figures are flawed and not based on any real analysis.
Ministry of Justice must account for missing millions, Sound off For Justice says
• Law Society’s “Missing Millions” report demonstrates how the government’s figures are flawed and not based on any real analysis.
• The Ministry of Justice savings are overstated and they will cost the taxpayer more than they save.
The Law Society has issued it’s sternest warning yet that the government is running out of time to address huge anomalies in the Ministry of Justice’s projected figures to be discussed today as the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (LAPSO) returns to the House of Commons for its third reading.
In a new report launched today, “Mission Millions: Government plans cost more than they save” the Law Society has concluded that the Government has drastically overstated savings issued by the Ministry of Justice, and that proposed savings risk costing more to the taxpayer than they will save.
Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, Vice-president, the Law Society said, “The impact assessments published with the bill include 30 admissions by the MoJ that it is speculating on the likely effects of its proposals.”
She continued, “The number of cases that will lose legal aid has risen from 568,000 in the legal aid green paper last year to 645,000 in the Bill now before Parliament. But the claimed saving to taxpayers has risen by only £1m, from £279m to £280m. No explanation is given for the fact that the cost of the additional cases that will be lost appears to be under £1.50 each. In an era of austerity it makes no sense for Government to continue to ignore the alternative savings plan offered by the Law Society and Sound off For Justice.”
For Press Office / Further Information / Interviews
Please contact Unity:
Georgie Weedon
georgie@hellounity.com
T: 0207 440 9827 M: 07812 609 756
OR
Kej Olutimayin
Kej@hellounity.com
T: 0207 440 9814 M : 07841 708 404"
soundoffforjustice.org/press-release-law-society-launches-missing-millions-report-ahead-of-third-reading-of-the-laspo-bill