What monitoring is undertaken to measure the availability of solicitors’ practices undertaking legal aid work under the Scottish legal aid …

Regular analysis isundertaken by the Scottish Legal Aid Board of the number of firms which submit applicationsfor civil legal aid and advice and assistance. This analysis provides a reasonablydetailed picture of patterns of provision at local authority level or by travelto work area where that is more appropriate. Where analysis suggests a particularlysignificant change in a specific area, the board can undertake more detailed examinationof the patterns of work dealt with by individual firms in the area.
The board also monitors correspondence or telephone enquiriesreceived where they suggest that there may be difficulties with provision in a particulararea.
In addition to itscurrent analysis, the board will also be undertaking a survey of the particulartypes of work which registered providers of civil legal assistance undertake. Thiswill help potential applicants to identify solicitors most likely to be able totake on their case. It will also help the board to identify areas where there arefew solicitors offering legal aid services, either in general or in particular typesof case.