Solicitors

Mr. Atkinson
To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on time taken from receipt of claim to the payment of solicitors in the No. 3 (southern) legal aid area.

The Attorney-General
Details on the time taken from receipt of claim to the payment of solicitors in the No. 3 legal aid area are kept in the form of percentages of set targets for the board. Legal aid area No. 3 experienced difficulties early last year but these have now been addressed and the area is now regularly surpassing its targets. Its oldest claim awaiting assessment and payment dates from 9 December 1991.Figures are available for a 12-month period and are set out in the table.
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|                                        |
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|Office target for payment within 6 weeks|
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|Actual achievement over last 3 months   |
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|Actual achievement over last 6 months   |
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|Actual achievement over last 12 months  |
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