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| Legal aid U-turn over price competition plan | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Plans to cut the legal aid bill by awarding contracts to the lowest bidder have been dropped, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has announced. | Plans to cut the legal aid bill by awarding contracts to the lowest bidder have been dropped, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has announced. |
| In an interview with the Times newspaper, Mr Grayling said the move was part of a deal he had reached with the Law Society for England and Wales. | In an interview with the Times newspaper, Mr Grayling said the move was part of a deal he had reached with the Law Society for England and Wales. |
| Opponents of the policy had warned the policy would "irrevocably damage the criminal justice system". | Opponents of the policy had warned the policy would "irrevocably damage the criminal justice system". |
| But other cuts to legal aid are expected to go ahead. | But other cuts to legal aid are expected to go ahead. |
| Ministers had intended to introduce price competitive tendering (PCT) as part of a string of reforms aiming to cut the £2bn annual legal aid bill in England and Wales by £350m a year. | Ministers had intended to introduce price competitive tendering (PCT) as part of a string of reforms aiming to cut the £2bn annual legal aid bill in England and Wales by £350m a year. |
| While this change will be dropped, other savings are expected to be found by bringing in a cap on contracts for duty solicitor work at police stations. | While this change will be dropped, other savings are expected to be found by bringing in a cap on contracts for duty solicitor work at police stations. |
| A 17.5% cut in all legal aid fees is also due to be phased in by 2015. | A 17.5% cut in all legal aid fees is also due to be phased in by 2015. |
| 'Factory mentality' | 'Factory mentality' |
| The government also plans to set up a working party to look at how thousands of short hearings can be avoided, or dealt with by email or video link, BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman said. | The government also plans to set up a working party to look at how thousands of short hearings can be avoided, or dealt with by email or video link, BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman said. |
| Its final proposals on legal aid reform will be subject to a six-week consultation, our correspondent added. | Its final proposals on legal aid reform will be subject to a six-week consultation, our correspondent added. |
| In a Commons debate on Wednesday, Labour MP Karl Turner had warned: "The government's proposals for PCT will irrevocably damage the criminal justice system. | In a Commons debate on Wednesday, Labour MP Karl Turner had warned: "The government's proposals for PCT will irrevocably damage the criminal justice system. |
| "PCT will inevitably lead to the market being dominated by the big multinationals, the usual suspects - G4S, Serco, Capita. | "PCT will inevitably lead to the market being dominated by the big multinationals, the usual suspects - G4S, Serco, Capita. |
| "And I fear many new entrants to the market who have absolutely no experience whatsoever in delivering criminal justice will dominate the market." | "And I fear many new entrants to the market who have absolutely no experience whatsoever in delivering criminal justice will dominate the market." |
| He warned it would no longer be viable for "small businesses, the expert businesses who have established their practices over a number of years" to "continue to exist". | He warned it would no longer be viable for "small businesses, the expert businesses who have established their practices over a number of years" to "continue to exist". |
| Mr Turner concluded: "We will see the cornerstone of a civilised society reduced to a factory mentality where quantity will trump quality at each and every time." | Mr Turner concluded: "We will see the cornerstone of a civilised society reduced to a factory mentality where quantity will trump quality at each and every time." |