11 December 1998

A system of fixed fees for solicitors undertaking summary criminal legal aid work would provide increased value for money and be easier to administer, according to the Scottish Legal Aid Board.

In response to The Scottish Executive consultation paper on fixed fees, Chief Executive Richard Scott said:

"The criminal legal aid budget has increased by over £50 million in the past 10 years. It is essential that this large amount of taxpayers' money is spent effectively. The Scottish Legal Aid Board believes that fixed payments for work done by solicitors will allow better forecasting and control of the criminal legal aid budget. A system of fixed fees will also be less complex to administer for both the Board and solicitors.

"The Board has recently implemented a number of policy developments in criminal legal aid, including the introduction of a Code of Practice for solicitors. We believe that the introduction of fixed fees, together with these initiatives, will provide enhanced value for money from the criminal legal aid system and ensure that people receiving criminal legal aid benefit from a high standard of service."

Responding to the consultation paper, the Board has put forward a number of comments on specific aspects of the draft regulations, including

• resources saved by fixed fees should be directed towards improving access to justice through the civil legal aid system
• the impact of fixed fees on other areas of the criminal justice system must be closely monitored
• an additional payment be made for solicitors travelling to visit a client at remand centres for women and young offenders, as these centres are not conveniently located for many solicitors.