asked the Attorney-General whether there will be any increase in the time taken to process legal aid applications in civil cases as a result of the shortfall of £1·4 million in the sum requested (£27·248 million) to run the legal aid administration in the year 1987–88.

The amount allocated for legal aid administration in 1987–88 is £25·465 million. This is 3·4 per cent. higher than the figure for 1986–87 (£24·634 million) which in turn was 18·6 per cent. higher than the figure for 1985–86 (£20·767 million). The legal aid administration of the Law Society estimates that the length of time taken to process civil legal aid applications will increase during 1987–88. The Government are confident that the legal aid administration will do all it can to keep any such increase to the minimum.