To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much has been spent by his Department since 1 May 1997 on the employment of consultants to advise on the proposed reforms of the legal aid system. [33193]

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much has been spent by his Department since 1 May 1997 on the employment of consultants to advise on the proposed reforms of the legal aid system. [33198]

To answer the hon. Member's question strictly nothing has been paid to consultants since 1 May 1997. We have asked KPMG, who are both accountants and management consultants, to establish whether lawyers can take cases using conditional fees for clients who cannot meet up-front costs and make a profit. The results of their work will be published shortly and the merging conclusions are that lawyers will be able profitably to take cases without needing funding from the client. No payment has been made to KPMG yet.