To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what data were used to determine the rates proposed for legal aid funded care work. (95406)

The proposed rates are based on 2004-05 final bill case costs for legal aid funded care work.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of the legal aid budget for care proceedings was expended on (a) solicitors’, (b) barristers’ and (c) experts’ fees in each of the last three years. (95407)

Percentage expenditure on care proceedings in total for the last three years is set out in the following table. The Legal Services Commission does not keep data centrally on expert fees specifically and only records disbursements generally.