Consultation outcome

Government response to Crime Lower Consultation: Criminal Legal Aid

Updated 15 November 2024

Introduction and contact details

This document is the post-consultation response to the Crime Lower consultation, which ran from 29 January 2024 to 28 March 2024.

It covers:

  • the background to the consultation
  • a summary of the responses to the consultation
  • a detailed response to the specific issues raised in responses to the consultation
  • the next steps following this consultation.

Hard copies of this document and the consultation paper can be obtained by writing to the Criminal Legal Aid Team at the following address:

Criminal Legal Aid Team

Ministry of Justice

102 Petty France

London SW1H 9AJ

Email: [email protected]

This response and the original consultation document are also available at https://consult.justice.gov.uk/

Alternative format versions of this publication can be requested from [email protected]

Complaints or comments

If you would like to make a complaint or have a comment about the consultation process, you should contact the Ministry of Justice at the above address.

Foreword

Criminal legal aid is essential for maintaining a fair and effective justice system. Making sure every person has access to proper police station advice is both consistent with the rule of law and underpins confidence in the validity and reliability of outcomes in criminal cases. It is therefore crucial that the criminal legal aid system is viable and sustainable – and that it properly values the contribution of practitioners to our justice system, which is currently challenged by a large and growing caseload.  

The previous Government launched the Crime Lower consultation in January of this year as a second phase of reforms resulting from the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review (CLAIR). The consultation focused specifically on improvements to the ‘crime lower’ fee structures – work done by criminal legal aid lawyers predominantly at the front end of the criminal justice system, including in police stations and the Youth Court.   

CLAIR made clear that police station and youth court schemes created unfairness and perverse incentives that disincentivise practitioners from spending more time on cases where additional attention was appropriate. Fees were also governed through 245 different geographical schemes. This was despite the relative similarity of work being undertaken, particularly in neighbouring areas.  

Given these findings, the previous Government allocated £21.1 million per year for longer-term reform towards standardising police station and Youth Court fees. Following the election in July of this year, this document outlines the new Government’s response to the Crime Lower consultation and how we will use the investment. Due to an increase in police station legal aid claims, alongside our commitment to implement the fee increases that were consulted on, as well as new travel time payments, the Government will invest an additional £2.9 million, bringing the total investment to £24 million. 

Our starting principle is that we want to get the money to legal aid lawyers working at the earliest stage possible in the process – to support earlier engagement with all cases and incentivise early, high-quality advice. This clarity regarding payments will be a benefit for practitioners, but it could also lead to earlier resolutions of cases – meaning swifter justice for victims and defendants.  

Of the total investment, £18.5 million will go into the police station fee scheme to begin the process of removing financial disparities and harmonising payments. This will uplift the lowest fees and mean many police station fee schemes within the same region will attract one fixed fee. The additional funding and uniformity of payments will put the market on a more sustainable footing for the future. 

Following feedback from the legal aid sector, we will also introduce a separate Youth Court fee scheme into which £5.1 million will be invested. Under the new scheme there will be enhanced fees for the most serious offences, including indictable only and triable either way offences. Targeting funding in this way will help to reduce the disparity between Youth and Crown Courts by prioritising cases that would be paid at Crown Court rates if the defendant were an adult. It also recognises the gravity of these cases and the greater impact on a child’s life if convicted, in line with CLAIR’s recommendations for the importance of youth work to be reflected through increased fees.   

Finally, we are implementing travel time payments for police station schemes with fewer than two providers and the Isle of Wight, as well as to providers from neighbouring schemes who do work within those same schemes. This should incentivise providers to pick up more cases in neighbouring areas where significant caseloads exist, which will support the sustainability of the market. This measure is expected to cost £0.4 million.  

This response is a first but important step on the new Government’s journey to delivering lasting change to the legal aid system. The changes are designed to recognise the huge contribution of practitioners in making sure every person who comes before the criminal justice system gets the fair hearing they deserve – and to safeguarding the rule of law in our country.  

Heidi Alexander MP 

Minister of State for Courts 

Background

1/. A Crime Lower consultation paper was published on 29 January 2024. It invited comments on the proposals and next steps for reform of the criminal legal aid fee schemes which fall under Crime Lower. Crime Lower covers work carried out by legal aid providers at police stations, in the magistrates’ courts in relation to people accused of, or charged with criminal offences, prison law and work completed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

2/.In December 2020, the then Government commissioned the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review (CLAIR), which considered criminal legal aid provision in England and Wales. The Review began in January 2021 and was undertaken by Lord Bellamy KC, a former judge. The final report was published in December 2021 and the government response was published alongside a consultation on the response in March 2022.

3/. As part of the response to CLAIR, an additional £21.1m was allocated to solicitors undertaking criminal legal aid work. £16m was allocated to police station fee schemes and £5.1m towards Youth Court fees. The Crime Lower consultation addressed how the allocated £21.1m would be distributed within these fee schemes. It also invited views on fees for prison law and the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

4/. For the police station schemes, there were two options in the consultation, both taking a step towards harmonising the 245 different fee schemes. CLAIR recommended that any reformed police station scheme should be designed on a harmonised basis, phasing out the 245 different rates as it is practical to do so. A summary of the two consultation options is provided on page 7.

5/. For the Youth Court, the consultation paper set out a new fee scheme that would be separate to the magistrates’ court scheme. It included an enhanced fee for the most serious offences (all indictable only and triable either way cases). The proposal to develop a new Youth Court fee scheme was first set out in the CLAIR consultation in 2022. A summary of the proposal in the Crime Lower consultation is provided in below on pages 11-12.

6/. The consultation period closed on 28 March 2024 and this report summarises the responses, including how the consultation process influenced the final shape of the policy consulted upon.

7/. The Impact Assessment accompanying the consultation has been updated to take account of evidence provided by respondents during the consultation period. The updated Impact Assessment has been published alongside this consultation response.

8/. In June 2024, published legal aid statistics[footnote 1] showed an annual increase in police station case volumes (around 13% for attendances). The proposed fee levels set out in the original consultation were derived using 2022-23 data, which was the latest available at the time. Given a new year of data has now been published, the analysis of impact of the proposed fees has been updated to 2023-24. This analysis shows an increase from £16m to £18.5m in annual spend based on the proposed fees and the 2023-24 data.

9/. A Welsh language version of this response and the Impact Assessment will be published at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/crime-lower-consultation

10/. A list of respondents to the consultation can be found at Annex A.

Responses to the consultation questions

Overview

11/. A total of 38 responses to the consultation were received. Of these, 13 responses were from representative bodies, charities and organisations.

12/. The responses were analysed to help inform the Government’s decision on how the previously allocated £21.1m, now rising to £23.6m, could be distributed within the police station and Youth Court fee schemes. Below is a summary of the consultation responses and the government response.

Investment into the Police Station Fee Schemes

13/The consultation included two options for the police station fee schemes, with both taking a step towards harmonising the 245 different schemes.

Option 1: Use the £16m (now £18.5m) to harmonise fees by uplifting the lowest fees

14/. 174 non-London schemes would see the fixed fee they receive increased to £225.63 (excluding VAT) under this option. It would bring around 70% of the 245 different fee schemes to the same level. All schemes with a fee above £225.63 would not have their fees increased. As all London schemes are above this amount, London fee schemes would not see an increase.

Option 2: Use the £16m (now £18.5m) to harmonise both the lowest non-London fees and the lowest London fees.

15/. 173 non-London schemes (out of 213) would have their fixed fee increased to £223.52 (excluding VAT) and 26 (out of 32) London schemes would have their fixed fee increased to £264.45 (excluding VAT) under this option. In total, 199 of the 245 fee schemes would see an increase to their fees, which is around 80%.

Question 1: Which option (1 or 2) do you think would be best to implement during the next financial year (2024/25)? Please explain the reasons for your answer.

16/. Half the respondents (50%) were in favour of option 2, while 34% supported option 1 and 16% did not address this question. For those who were in favour of option 2, comments were made that London had higher costs and therefore should be included in the uplift. Others also preferred this option as it benefited more police station areas.

17/. Those in favour of option 1 felt that it would be fairer to focus on the lowest fees with some highlighting that London currently has a disproportionate number of providers compared to the rest of England and Wales.

Question 2: Which option (1 or 2) do you think would better achieve meeting CLAIR’s recommendations as set out in the consultation document Please explain the reasons for your answer.

18/. 45% of the responses supported option 2 but there was an increase in the number of respondents who did not answer this question (29%) compared to question 1. Some of the respondents who did not answer this question stated that they felt that neither options would achieve CLAIR’s recommendations. Those who supported option 1 or option 2 gave similar reasons to those stated in response to question 1. Some respondents also mentioned that option 2 would allow the greatest number of schemes to be harmonised.

Question 3: Do you agree with our approach to amending the escape threshold for the affected schemes? Please explain the reasons for your answer

19/. The majority of respondents (47%) agreed with the escape fee threshold being adjusted for the police station proposals and believed it was an appropriate adjustment. 24% disagreed and 29% did not address this question. Some of the respondents who answered no to this question expressed that they would prefer to see the escape fee completely reformed. Many respondents used this question to express their views that the current escape fee threshold was not fit for purpose.

Question 4: Are there any other views or observations you would like to share?

20/. In addition to responding to question 4, many respondents shared views and observations as part of their responses to questions 1-3. Therefore, the summary below encompasses all comments made from question 1 to question 4.

21/. Comments were made that the current funding was not sufficient to address the issues of retention, recruitment, and that the funding was below the level of investment needed to create a sustainable future for criminal legal aid.

22/. Some respondents emphasised that they felt inflation and other economic factors like the cost of living crisis had not been considered when looking at what funding is required.

23/. Respondents also raised concerns that the escape fee threshold was not being reformed. Comments were made about the threshold being too high, and that only a low number of cases are able to reach it. The argument that there is an unpaid gap between the fixed fee and escape fee threshold was also made. Some respondents raised concerns that police station work had changed over the years and that the current fee schemes did not reflect this. Some of the examples shared include having more than one attendance at the police station for the same case and a greater use of electronic/video evidence.

24/. A few respondents expressed concerns around custody consolidation where there have been police station closures leading to police station work moving to another area which may have a lower fixed fee.

25/. Some respondents also expressed a concern that not all the police station schemes were going to benefit from the allocated funding.

Government Response

26/. Taking account of the views expressed by respondents to the Crime Lower consultation, the Government will take forward option 2 to harmonise both the lowest non-London fees and the lowest London fees. These changes will come into force on 6 December 2024. Option 2 enables the greatest number of fee schemes to be harmonised. This was also the option that most consultation respondents supported. The new fees are set out at Annex B.

27/. The implementation of option 2 will help address some of the custody consolidation issues raised by consultation respondents by harmonising many police station fee schemes within the same region.

28/. The Government recognises that the schemes with the highest London and non-London fees will not benefit from the funding and that this will be disappointing to firms working in those areas. The original police station fee scheme reforms proposed in the 2022 CLAIR consultation were cost neutral. However, several respondents to that consultation, including the Law Society, Criminal Law Solicitors Association (CLSA) and the Legal Aid Practitioners Group emphasised that any changes in regard to harmonisation should not lead to a reduction in any of the fees. In light of those concerns a decision was taken to move away from a cost-neutral approach and £16m (now £18.5m) was reallocated to police station fee schemes. This led to the options in the Crime Lower consultation where we proposed harmonising the police station fee schemes by uplifting the lowest fees.

29/. It would not be possible to use the available funding to harmonise all police station fee schemes, unless some of the highest fees were reduced. This is not an approach that has been pursued.

30/. In June 2024, published legal aid statistics[footnote 2] showed an annual increase in police station case volumes (around 13% for attendances). The proposed fee levels at the time of the original consultation were derived using 2022-23 data, which was the latest available at the time. Given a new year of data has now been published, the analysis of the impact of the proposed fees has been updated to use 2023-24 data. This analysis shows an increase from £16m to £18.5m in annual spend based on the proposed fees.

Pre-Charge Engagement

31/. Pre-charge engagement (PCE) refers to voluntary engagement between the parties to an investigation after the first police interview and before a suspect has been formally charged. It can result in several benefits, including better-informed charging decisions; identifying and resolving issues in relation to evidence; narrowing the issues in dispute; and reducing anxiety and uncertainty for suspects.

32/. The provision for remunerating PCE was implemented in 2021 and it only allowed payment to be available from the date of the agreement between the relevant parties. This meant that preparatory work conducted prior to the agreement was not remunerated.

33/. CLAIR concluded that for PCE to be meaningful, the defence needs to know the prosecution case, to study the evidence and to take instructions before deciding whether it is in the client’s best interests to engage. The report recommended that the defence be funded to examine the evidence provided by the police before deciding whether engagement is appropriate or not. The previous Government widened the scope of PCE to allow payments for preparatory work in October 2022.

34/. The Crime Lower consultation sought feedback on PCE to gain a better understanding of how it is currently operating.

Question 5: Have you previously claimed for pre-charge engagement work? Please state yes or no.

35/. 13% of the respondents answered yes to this question while 55% answered no and 32% did not address this question. As this question was posed to individuals taking up work in police stations, representative bodies, charities and organisations could not address this question directly.

Question 6: If no, please explain why?

Question 7:  If yes, please share your experience of engaging with this work including:

a) your experience of engaging with the police and prosecution; and

b) your experience of claiming payment.

Question 8: Have you experienced or witnessed any limitations in carrying out this work?

36/. As many of the answers given in response to questions 6-8 overlapped, we have provided a summary below combining the three questions.

37/. Several respondents argued that the fee was too low and that the work was not financially worthwhile. Some respondents raised the point that the administrative and regulatory burden of claiming was too high in order to provide any incentive to make claims. It was suggested that the auditing process acted as a deterrent to claiming for PCE. Respondents also mentioned that the process for claiming PCE was too complicated with some stating that they were unaware of how to claim.

38/. Many respondents made the point of either the police or the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) not being engaged on PCE to allow it to effectively take place. Some indicated that there needed to be a cultural shift amongst the police and CPS.

Government Response

39/. The Legal Aid Agency has issued further communications on how to claim for PCE to raise awareness among practitioners and to explain the process.

40/. The Ministry of Justice is working with the Home Office and Attorney General’s Office, the CPS and police to consider whether additional steps can be taken to make PCE more effective.

41/. At this stage, we are not planning to review the current PCE fee levels but will keep this decision under review.

A Separate Youth Court Fee Scheme

42/. The Crime Lower consultation proposed a new Youth Court fee scheme which would include an enhanced fixed fee for the most serious offences (all indictable only and triable either way cases). The fee consulted on was £658 (including VAT) or £548.33 (excluding VAT). This would be paid in addition to the current fees paid for Youth Court cases under the magistrates’ fee scheme (Table 1 below).

43/. This enhanced fixed fee would apply to lower and higher standard fee cases. Non-standard fees, which exceed the standard fee threshold, are paid at an hourly rate. The enhanced fee amount would be paid in addition to the non-standard fee paid at hourly rates.

44/. There is currently an enhanced hourly rate available under the non-standard fee claims in certain circumstances. Solicitors’ firms will continue to be able to claim this, where appropriate, and receive the enhanced fixed fee for the most serious offences.

Question 9: Do you agree with having a separate Youth Court fee scheme outside of the current magistrates’ fee scheme? Please explain your answer.

45/. The majority of respondents (66%) agreed with the proposal to have a separate Youth Court fee scheme. Many responses agreed that the Youth Court required specialist knowledge and had its own challenges separate to the magistrates’ court. 18% of the respondents disagreed with there being a separate Youth Court fee scheme with some stating that there should be no difference between the magistrates’ and Youth Court. 16% of the respondents did not address this question.

Question 10: Do you agree with the enhanced fee proposal for the Youth Court? Please explain your answer.

46/. The majority of respondents (71%) agreed with the enhanced fixed fee proposal and generally welcomed the proposed change. Some respondents also emphasised that the Youth Court involved additional complexities in relation to working with child defendants as compared to cases in the magistrates’ court.

47/. 11% of respondents disagreed with the proposal, with some respondents stating that the enhanced fixed fee should be linked to training/accreditation.18% of respondents did not address the question.

Question 11: Do you agree with the enhanced fee being targeted towards the most serious offences (i.e. indictable only and triable either way offences)? Please explain your answer.

48/. 45% of the respondents agreed with the enhanced fee being targeted towards the most serious offences while 39% disagreed. Some of the respondents who agreed indicated that the most serious offences required more work and expertise while others mentioned that the most serious offences had more gravity and implications if the individual were convicted, justifying a higher fee.

49/. The respondents who disagreed with targeting the enhanced fee at the most serious offences argued that working with children was the factor that made a case complex and that child defendants were generally vulnerable. For this reason, some respondents indicated that an enhanced fee should be applied to all offences.

50/. 16% of respondents did not answer this question.

Government Response

51/. The Government will introduce a separate Youth Court fee scheme with enhanced fixed fees for the most serious offences. This includes indictable only and triable either way offences, but not summary offences. This helps to reduce the disparity between the Youth and Crown Courts by prioritising cases which would be paid at Crown Court rates if the defendant were an adult. It also recognises the gravity of these cases and the greater impact on a child’s life if they are convicted.

52/. While we have targeted the funding mainly towards indictable only and triable either way offences, we have treated one summary offence as falling within the serious category, and one either way offence as falling within the summary offence category for the purposes of respectively applying and disapplying the new enhanced fixed fee, to allow the fees to be consistent with the current fee scheme.  The offences are proceedings relating to either way offences which must be tried in a magistrates’ court in accordance with section 22 of the Magistrates’ Court Act 1980 (certain offences triable either way to be tried summarily if the value involved is small).

53/. Some respondents raised concerns about the quality of advice in the sector. This echoes the findings of the CLAIR report and the Government agrees that this is an area which requires further investigation. Ministry of Justice (MOJ) provided grant funding for legal training pilots in three locations in early 2024 (London, Manchester and the South West region). Government will continue to work with the legal sector through the Quality of Advice Working Group to encourage the development and uptake of youth-specific training for criminal lawyers working with children.

54/. For summary offences that may be more complex, and will not receive the enhanced rate applied to indictable offences, the non-standard fee level and existing enhanced hourly rate can continue to be paid, where appropriate.

55/. It should be noted that the enhanced fee we consulted on has increased from £548.33 (excluding VAT) to £598.59 (excluding VAT). This is due to methodological improvements to the way youth volumes are counted and the availability of 2023 data. Table 1 below provides an illustration of the new enhanced fees for the Youth Court.

56/. The Youth Court legal aid spend based on 2023 baseline is around £6.3m, excluding disbursements. This means that the allocated £5.1m will increase Youth Court spend by around 80% which is a substantial increase. This addresses the CLAIR report recommendation which called for the importance of youth work to be reflected through increased fees above the current magistrates’ court fee level.

Table 1 - Youth Court Fee Scheme (excluding VAT)

Designated Area Standard Fees

Lower Standard Fee Limit (£) Lower Standard Fee (£) Enhanced Fee (£) Total Fee (£) Higher Standard Fee Limit (£) Higher Standard Fee (£) Enhanced Fee (£) Total Fee (£)
Category 1A 313.19 286.02 £598.59 884.61* 542.63 542.58 £598.59 1,141.17*
Category 1B 313.19 232.53   232.53 542.63 500.99   500.99
Category 2A 538.02 397.14 £598.59 995.73* 896.59 831.85 £598.59 1,430.44*
Category 2B 538.02 397.14   397.14 896.59 831.85   831.85

Undesignated Area Standard Fees

Lower Standard Fee Limit (£) Lower Standard Fee (£) Enhanced Fee (£) Total Fee (£) Higher Standard Fee Limit (£) Higher Standard Fee (£) Enhanced Fee (£) Total Fee (£)
Category 1A 313.19 822.47* £598.59 822.47* 542.63 1,072.74* £598.59 1,072.74*
Category 1B 313.19 182.01   182.01 542.63 437.81   437.81
Category 2A 538.02 919.96* £598.59 919.96* 896.59 1,335.67* £598.59 1,335.67*
Category 2B 538.02 321.37   321.37 896.59 737.08   737.08

* Category 1A and Category 2A refer to indictable only and triable either way offences where the fee enhancement is applied. For non-standard fee cases, (i.e. those that go above the higher standard fee limit) the enhanced fee amount for would be claimed separately.

Police Station Travel Renumeration

57/. During consideration of the consultation responses, a number made reference to the challenges some providers experienced in travelling long journeys to police stations and how this time was not adequately remunerated. The issue was also raised in judicial review proceedings by the Law Society. Following further consideration, the Government will introduce a scheme that provides for the payment of travel in a small number of schemes across the country. This will provide for payment for travel time in relation to schemes with fewer than two providers and the Isle of Wight (IoW), as well as to providers from neighbouring schemes who do work within those scheme areas. It will help support the sustainability of those schemes, over and above the existing arrangements for the police station attendance fixed fee scheme which includes travel time as part of the fixed fee.

58/. This will apply to the Barnstaple, Skegness, Berwick & Alnwick, Dolgellau and Newark schemes as they currently have fewer than two duty providers.

59/. Although it currently has more than two providers, the Government believes the IoW scheme should also benefit from payment of travel time to support mainland providers to provide advice there. As the IoW scheme is the only scheme where it is not possible to drive to and from neighbouring schemes, we believe offering payment for travel time to be justified.

60/. The rates that will be paid (on top of any other fee earned for advice and assistance at the police station) are the same as those currently already prescribed for the purpose of working out if an escape fee is payable and will be paid for travel time to / from / within the single provider schemes and the IoW. This intervention is estimated to cost around £400k (including VAT) per annum, based on 23-24 data.

Prison Law and Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)

61/. The Crime Lower Consultation also invited views on Prison Law and CCRC, specifically on the proposed plan to not make changes at this point, instead focusing investment on reforming and improving engagement in the initial stages of criminal cases, helping divert people out of the criminal justice system, supporting early case resolution, and reducing backlogs.

Question 12: Do you agree with our proposal to not make changes to the Prison Law and Criminal Cases Review Commission fee scheme at this stage?

62/. The majority of respondents (61%) disagreed with the proposal. Those that disagreed felt that funding should be allocated to prison law and CCRC and that the changes recommended in CLAIR should be made. 13% of respondents agreed with the proposal and 26% did not address the question. Some of the respondents who agreed or did not address the question mentioned that their firm did not cover this area of work.

Government Response

63/. The Government appreciates the concerns that were raised as part of the consultation response and that it may be disappointing that additional investment is not going into these areas at this time. Government will keep the position under review. The funding that was set aside for the proposals in the Crime Lower consultation is designed to support reform and improve engagement in the initial stages of the criminal justice system, helping support early case resolution. Putting money towards the earlier stages of the criminal justice system was part of CLAIR’s wider objectives to encourage early engagement between the Police, CPS and defence practitioners.

Equalities Impacts

Police Station Proposals (Paragraphs 29–34 of the Crime Lower Consultation)

Question 13: From your experience are there any groups or individuals with particular protected characteristics who may be particularly affected, either positively or negatively, by the proposals in this paper? Please include which groups/individuals and explain your reasons. We would welcome examples, case studies, research or other types of evidence that support your views.

Question 14: What do you consider to be the equalities impacts on individuals with particular protected characteristics of each of the proposals? Are there any mitigations the government should consider? Please provide evidence and reasons.

64/. The majority of respondents did not address these questions. For respondents who did, a small number mentioned that we should consider those who may have learning disabilities, language barriers and mental health conditions. A couple of respondents highlighted that black and ethnic minority children are overrepresented in the criminal justice system.

Youth Court Proposals (Paragraphs 53–58 of the Crime Lower Consultation)

Question 15: From your experience are there any groups or individuals with particular protected characteristics who may be particularly affected, either positively or negatively, by the proposals in this paper? Please include which groups/individuals and explain your reasons. We would welcome examples, case studies, research or other types of evidence that support your views.

Question 16: What do you consider to be the equalities impacts on individuals with particular protected characteristics of each of the proposals? Are there any mitigations the government should consider? Please provide evidence and reasons

65/. These questions also received very few responses, many of which were similar to the responses received for previous questions. The respondents highlighted that children with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, as well as a disproportionate of number of black and ethnic minority children are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. A couple of respondents also mentioned the consideration of children in the care system.

66/. An updated Equality Statement has been published alongside this response which takes account of the views expressed.

Impact Assessment and Equalities

Impact Assessment

67/. An Impact Assessment has been published alongside this response.

Equalities

68/. An updated Equalities Statement has been published alongside this response.

Conclusion and next steps

69/. A Statutory Instrument to bring the fee increases set out in this response is being laid to come into force from 6 December 2024.

Consultation principles

The principles that Government departments and other public bodies should adopt for engaging stakeholders when developing policy and legislation are set out in the Cabinet Office Consultation Principles 2018:

[https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/691383/Consultation_Principles__1.pdf](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/691383/Consultation_Principles__1.pdf)

Annex A – List of respondents

  • Appeal
  • Association of Prison Lawyers (APL)
  • Criminal Appeal Lawyers Association (CALA)
  • Criminal Law Solicitor Association (CLSA)
  • Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board
  • Joint Bar Council BC/Criminal Bar Association (CBA)
  • Legal Aid Practitioners Group (LAPG)
  • London Criminal Court Solicitors’ Associations (LCCSA)
  • Positive Steps - Youth Justice Service
  • The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX)
  • The Law Society
  • Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL)
  • Youth Practitioners’ Association (YPA)

There were a further 25 responses from individual respondents.

Annex B: Fixed Fees and Escape Fee Thresholds for the Police Station Measure (excluding VAT)

Criminal Justice System Area Police Station Scheme Name CWA Police Station Scheme Code Current Fixed Fee (£) Current Escape Threshold (£) Option 1 Fixed Fee (£) Option 1 Escape Threshold (£)
Cleveland Hartlepool 1001 151.11 466.21 223.52 588.99
Cleveland Teeside 1002 156.35 479.58 223.52 588.99
Durham Darlington 1003 177.72 533.16 223.52 588.99
Durham South Durham 1004 175.25 538.52 223.52 588.99
Durham Durham 1005 204.63 637.65 223.52 588.99
Durham Derwentside 1006 197.37 592.14 223.52 588.99
Durham Easington 1007 192.04 589.42 223.52 588.99
Northumbria South East Northumberland 1008 170.58 511.73 223.52 588.99
Northumbria Newcastle upon Tyne 1009 158.46 487.61 223.52 588.99
Northumbria Gateshead 1010 164.34 492.99 223.52 588.99
Northumbria North Tyneside 1011 161.61 495.67 223.52 588.99
Northumbria South Tyneside 1012 153.21 471.56 223.52 588.99
Northumbria Sunderland / Houghton Le Spring 1013 171.05 527.82 223.52 588.99
Northumbria Berwick & Alnwick 1014 203.58 626.95 223.52 588.99
Northumbria Tynedale & Hexham 1015 177.34 546.57 223.52 588.99
Avon and Somerset Avon North & Thornbury 2001 204.63 645.71 223.52 588.99
Avon and Somerset Bath 2002 222.38 667.12 223.52 588.99
Avon and Somerset Mendip & South Somerset 2003 249.17 747.52 249.17 747.52
Avon and Somerset Bristol 2004 183.98 551.93 223.52 588.99
Avon and Somerset Sedgemore / Taunton Deane 2005 208.83 707.32 223.52 588.99
Avon and Somerset Weston-Super-Mare 2006 209.09 624.28 223.52 588.99
Dorset Central Dorset 2007 209.88 629.63 223.52 588.99
Dorset Bournemouth & Christchurch 2008 167.00 501.02 223.52 588.99
Dorset Poole East Dorset 2009 176.30 541.19 223.52 588.99
Dorset Bridport / West Dorset 2010 167.90 503.70 223.52 588.99
Wiltshire Salisbury 2011 200.43 616.22 223.52 588.99
Wiltshire Chippenham / Trowbridge 2012 216.13 648.39 223.52 588.99
Wiltshire Swindon 2013 197.28 608.19 223.52 588.99
Gloucestershire Cheltenham 2014 181.54 559.96 223.52 588.99
Gloucestershire Gloucester 2015 178.40 549.25 223.52 588.99
Gloucestershire Stroud 2016 204.63 629.63 223.52 588.99
Devon and Cornwall Barnstaple 2017 200.05 600.16 223.52 588.99
Devon and Cornwall Exeter 2018 177.72 533.16 223.52 588.99
Devon and Cornwall Plymouth 2019 206.31 618.92 223.52 588.99
Devon and Cornwall East Cornwall 2020 228.77 776.99 228.77 776.99
Devon and Cornwall Carrick / Kerrier (Camborne) / Penwith 2021 204.63 648.39 223.52 588.99
Devon and Cornwall Teignbridge / Torbay 2022 187.65 562.64 223.52 588.99
Staffordshire Stoke on Trent / Leek 3001 204.63 648.39 223.52 588.99
Staffordshire Stafford / Cannock & Rugeley 3002 204.63 629.63 223.52 588.99
Staffordshire Lichfield & Tamworth / Burton Upon Trent / Uttoxeter 3003 198.33 610.86 223.52 588.99
Warwickshire Leamington / Nuneaton / Rugby 3004 205.40 616.22 223.52 588.99
West Mercia Hereford / Leominster 3005 178.62 535.84 223.52 588.99
West Mercia Kidderminster / Redditch 3006 228.63 685.88 228.63 685.88
West Mercia Shrewsbury 3007 190.99 586.75 223.52 588.99
West Mercia Telford 3008 198.33 610.86 223.52 588.99
West Mercia Worcester 3009 208.09 624.28 223.52 588.99
West Midlands Sandwell 3010 202.53 621.60 223.52 588.99
West Midlands Wolverhampton & Seisdon 3011 202.53 621.60 223.52 588.99
West Midlands Dudley & Halesowen 3012 199.16 597.48 223.52 588.99
West Midlands Walsall 3013 204.63 632.30 223.52 588.99
West Midlands Birmingham 3014 204.63 651.06 223.52 588.99
West Midlands Solihull 3015 215.23 645.71 223.52 588.99
West Midlands Coventry 3016 176.84 530.50 223.52 588.99
Dyfed Powys Amman Valley 4001 204.63 656.42 223.52 588.99
Dyfed Powys Carmarthen East Dyfed 4002 232.21 696.61 232.21 696.61
Dyfed Powys Llanelli 4003 204.63 656.42 223.52 588.99
Dyfed Powys Brecon & Radnor 4004 233.99 701.97 233.99 701.97
Dyfed Powys Mid Wales 4005 178.62 535.84 223.52 588.99
Dyfed Powys North Ceredigion / South Ceredigion 4006 234.88 704.64 234.88 704.64
Dyfed Powys Pembrokeshire 4007 192.04 592.14 223.52 588.99
Gwent East Gwent 4008 195.19 600.16 223.52 588.99
Gwent Newport 4009 192.04 589.42 223.52 588.99
Gwent Lower Rhymney Valley / North Bedwellty / South Bedwellty 4010 204.63 640.33 223.52 588.99
North Wales Bangor & Caernarfon 4011 217.91 653.74 223.52 588.99
North Wales Colwyn Bay 4012 199.39 613.54 223.52 588.99
North Wales Denbighshire 4013 217.02 651.06 223.52 588.99
North Wales Dolgellau 4014 217.02 651.06 223.52 588.99
North Wales Mold & Hawarden 4015 204.63 637.65 223.52 588.99
North Wales North Anglesey 4016 226.85 680.54 226.85 680.54
North Wales Pwllheli 4017 153.61 460.83 223.52 588.99
North Wales Wrexham 4018 185.76 557.28 223.52 588.99
South Wales Cardiff 4019 204.63 675.18 223.52 588.99
South Wales Vale of Glamorgan 4020 239.35 718.06 239.35 718.06
South Wales Cynon Valley 4021 204.63 648.39 223.52 588.99
South Wales Mid Glamorgan & Miskin 4022 204.63 675.18 223.52 588.99
South Wales Merthyr Tydfil 4023 204.63 669.83 223.52 588.99
South Wales Port Talbot 4024 251.85 852.01 251.85 852.01
South Wales Newcastle & Ogmore 4025 204.63 685.88 223.52 588.99
South Wales Neath 4026 207.78 704.64 223.52 588.99
South Wales Swansea 4027 197.28 608.19 223.52 588.99
Merseyside Bootle & Crosby 5001 186.79 573.37 223.52 588.99
Merseyside Southport 5002 156.30 468.88 223.52 588.99
Merseyside Liverpool 5003 206.31 618.92 223.52 588.99
Merseyside St Helens 5004 176.30 543.90 223.52 588.99
Merseyside Knowsley 5005 189.93 584.07 223.52 588.99
Merseyside Wirral 5006 181.54 557.28 223.52 588.99
Cheshire Crewe & Nantwich / Sandbach & Congleton / Macclesfield 6001 202.53 621.60 223.52 588.99
Cheshire Warrington / Halton 6002 177.72 533.16 223.52 588.99
Cheshire Chester / Vale Royal (Northwich) 6003 184.87 554.61 223.52 588.99
Cumbria Barrow In Furness 6004 176.84 530.50 223.52 588.99
Cumbria Kendal & Windermere 6005 210.77 632.30 223.52 588.99
Cumbria Penrith / Carlisle 6006 199.16 597.48 223.52 588.99
Cumbria Whitehaven / Workington 6007 165.22 495.67 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Manchester 6008 204.63 675.18 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Stockport 6009 192.90 578.71 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Trafford 6010 204.63 643.03 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Salford 6011 204.63 656.42 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Bolton 6012 189.34 568.02 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Bury 6013 183.98 551.93 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Wigan 6014 195.58 586.75 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Rochdale / Middleton 6015 194.70 584.07 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Tameside 6016 179.45 551.93 223.52 588.99
Greater Manchester Oldham 6017 158.08 474.24 223.52 588.99
Lancashire Burnley / Rossendale 6018 186.66 559.96 223.52 588.99
Lancashire Blackburn / Accrington / Ribble Valley 6019 204.63 667.12 223.52 588.99
Lancashire Blackpool 6020 145.57 436.71 223.52 588.99
Lancashire Fleetwood 6021 149.14 447.44 223.52 588.99
Lancashire Lancaster 6022 183.08 549.25 223.52 588.99
Lancashire Chorley / Ormskirk / South Ribble & Leyland 6023 200.94 602.83 223.52 588.99
Lancashire Preston 6024 164.34 492.99 223.52 588.99
Kent Dartford & Gravesend 7001 267.93 803.78 267.93 803.78
Kent Ashford & Tenterden / Dover / Folkestone 7002 236.11 801.10 236.11 801.10
Kent Medway 7003 235.77 707.32 235.77 707.32
Kent Swale 7004 279.53 838.60 279.53 838.60
Kent Maidstone & West Malling 7005 249.17 747.52 249.17 747.52
Kent Canterbury / Thanet 7006 204.63 693.94 223.52 588.99
Kent West Kent (Tonbridge) 7007 239.35 718.06 239.35 718.06
Surrey Guildford & Farnham 7008 206.72 701.97 223.52 588.99
Surrey North West Surrey (Woking) 7009 225.62 766.26 225.62 766.26
Surrey South East Surrey 7010 238.21 809.13 238.21 809.13
Surrey Epsom 7011 241.36 819.87 241.36 819.87
Surrey Staines 7012 277.04 937.73 277.04 937.73
Sussex Brighton & Hove & Lewes 7013 210.92 715.35 223.52 588.99
Sussex Chichester & District 7014 186.79 573.37 223.52 588.99
Sussex Crawley / Horsham 7015 262.57 787.69 262.57 787.69
Sussex Hastings 7016 163.70 503.70 223.52 588.99
Sussex Worthing 7017 188.89 581.39 223.52 588.99
Sussex Eastbourne 7018 199.16 597.48 223.52 588.99
Derbyshire East Derbyshire (Ripley) / Ilkeston 8001 237.56 712.68 237.56 712.68
Derbyshire Ashbourne / Matlock / High Peak (Buxton) 8002 218.81 656.42 223.52 588.99
Derbyshire Chesterfield 8003 204.52 613.54 223.52 588.99
Derbyshire Derby / Swadlincote 8004 204.63 656.42 223.52 588.99
Leicestershire Ashby & Coalville / Loughborough / Melton Mowbray 8005 208.98 626.95 223.52 588.99
Leicestershire Leicester 8006 204.63 634.97 223.52 588.99
Leicestershire Hinckley / Market Harborough 8007 232.21 696.61 232.21 696.61
Lincolnshire Boston / Bourne / Stamford 8008 199.39 613.54 223.52 588.99
Lincolnshire Skegness 8009 179.50 538.52 223.52 588.99
Lincolnshire Lincoln / Gainsborough 8010 185.76 557.28 223.52 588.99
Lincolnshire Grantham & Sleaford 8011 183.64 565.31 223.52 588.99
Nottinghamshire Mansfield 8012 184.69 568.02 223.52 588.99
Nottinghamshire Newark 8013 207.20 621.60 223.52 588.99
Nottinghamshire Nottingham 8014 206.31 618.92 223.52 588.99
Nottinghamshire Worksop & East Retford 8015 196.24 602.83 223.52 588.99
Northamptonshire Corby (Kettering) / Wellingborough 8016 181.30 543.90 223.52 588.99
Northamptonshire Northampton 8017 196.48 589.42 223.52 588.99
Bedfordshire Bedford 9001 193.09 594.80 223.52 588.99
Bedfordshire Luton 9002 204.63 691.23 223.52 588.99
Cambridgeshire Cambridge 9003 186.79 576.05 223.52 588.99
Cambridgeshire Ely 9004 204.63 661.77 223.52 588.99
Cambridgeshire Huntingdon 9005 199.16 597.48 223.52 588.99
Cambridgeshire March & Wisbech 9006 197.37 592.14 223.52 588.99
Cambridgeshire Peterborough 9007 164.34 492.99 223.52 588.99
Essex Basildon 9008 204.63 632.30 223.52 588.99
Essex Brentwood 9009 286.48 972.58 286.48 972.58
Essex Braintree 9010 228.77 774.32 228.77 774.32
Essex Clacton & Harwich / Colchester 9011 204.63 648.39 223.52 588.99
Essex Grays 9012 267.59 908.27 267.59 908.27
Essex Harlow & Loughton 9013 267.59 908.27 267.59 908.27
Essex Stansted 9014 295.93 1,004.72 295.93 1,004.72
Essex Rayleigh / Southend On Sea 9015 192.02 576.05 223.52 588.99
Essex Chelmsford / Witham 9016 202.53 624.28 223.52 588.99
Hertfordshire Dacorum (Hemel Hempstead) 9017 241.36 817.16 241.36 817.16
Hertfordshire Bishop’s Stortford / East Hertfordshire 9018 292.78 993.99 292.78 993.99
Hertfordshire Stevenage & North Hertfordshire 9019 271.79 921.68 271.79 921.68
Hertfordshire St Albans 9020 246.61 807.59 246.61 807.59
Hertfordshire Watford 9021 242.41 822.54 242.41 822.54
Norfolk Cromer & North Walsham 9022 211.98 718.06 223.52 588.99
Norfolk Great Yarmouth 9023 193.80 581.39 223.52 588.99
Norfolk Kings Lynn & West Norfolk 9024 189.34 568.02 223.52 588.99
Norfolk Norwich & District 9025 194.70 584.07 223.52 588.99
Norfolk Diss / Thetford 9026 201.48 618.92 223.52 588.99
Norfolk Dereham 9027 227.71 771.64 227.71 771.64
Suffolk Lowestoft / Beccles & Halesworth / Aldeburgh 9028 194.70 584.07 223.52 588.99
Suffolk Felixstowe / Ipswich & District / Woodbridge 9029 198.27 594.80 223.52 588.99
Suffolk Sudbury & Hadleigh / Bury St Edmunds / Haverhill / Newmarket 9030 204.63 634.97 223.52 588.99
Thames Valley Abingdon, Didcot & Witney (South Oxfordshire) 1131 240.30 814.49 240.30 814.49
Thames Valley Aylesbury 1132 228.63 685.88 228.63 685.88
Thames Valley High Wycombe & Amersham 1133 219.32 744.84 223.52 588.99
Thames Valley Milton Keynes 1134 189.93 584.07 223.52 588.99
Thames Valley Bicester / North Oxon (Banbury) 1135 223.51 758.23 223.52 588.99
Thames Valley Oxford 1136 223.51 758.23 223.52 588.99
Thames Valley Reading 1137 217.02 651.06 223.52 588.99
Thames Valley Slough (East Berkshire) 1138 240.30 814.49 240.30 814.49
Thames Valley West Berkshire (Newbury Etc) 1139 200.94 602.83 223.52 588.99
Hampshire Aldershot / Petersfield (North East Hampshire) 1140 229.82 779.67 229.82 779.67
Hampshire Andover / Basingstoke / Winchester (NW Hants) 1141 242.03 726.09 242.03 726.09
Hampshire Isle Of Wight 1142 197.37 592.14 223.52 588.99
Hampshire Portsmouth / Waterlooville (South East Hampshire) 1143 202.73 608.19 223.52 588.99
Hampshire Gosport & Fareham 1144 247.38 742.14 247.38 742.14
Hampshire Southampton (South West Hampshire) 1145 228.63 685.88 228.63 685.88
Humberside Grimsby & Cleethorpes 1201 154.50 463.50 223.52 588.99
Humberside Scunthorpe 1202 165.81 511.73 223.52 588.99
Humberside Hull 1203 176.30 541.19 223.52 588.99
Humberside Beverley / Bridlington 1204 204.63 675.18 223.52 588.99
Humberside Goole 1205 209.88 710.00 223.52 588.99
North Yorkshire Northallerton & Richmond 1206 220.59 661.77 223.52 588.99
North Yorkshire Harrogate & Ripon 1207 211.66 634.97 223.52 588.99
North Yorkshire Skipton, Settle & Ingleton 1208 204.63 629.63 223.52 588.99
North Yorkshire Scarborough / Whitby 1209 175.25 538.52 223.52 588.99
North Yorkshire Malton & Ryedale 1210 168.80 506.38 223.52 588.99
North Yorkshire York / Selby 1211 183.64 565.31 223.52 588.99
South Yorkshire Barnsley 1212 182.60 562.64 223.52 588.99
South Yorkshire Doncaster 1213 176.30 541.19 223.52 588.99
South Yorkshire Rotherham 1214 186.79 576.05 223.52 588.99
South Yorkshire Sheffield 1215 192.04 592.14 223.52 588.99
West Yorkshire Halifax 1216 200.05 600.16 223.52 588.99
West Yorkshire Huddersfield 1217 168.80 506.38 223.52 588.99
West Yorkshire Dewsbury 1218 183.08 549.25 223.52 588.99
West Yorkshire Bradford 1219 156.35 482.26 223.52 588.99
West Yorkshire Keighley & Bingley 1220 176.30 541.19 223.52 588.99
West Yorkshire Leeds 1221 165.81 509.05 223.52 588.99
West Yorkshire Pontefract & Castleford 1222 162.54 487.61 223.52 588.99
West Yorkshire Wakefield 1223 160.55 492.99 223.52 588.99
London Barking 1301 258.15 876.13 264.45 852.79
London Bexley 1302 230.86 782.35 264.45 852.79
London Bishopsgate 1303 269.69 913.62 269.69 913.62
London Brent 1304 251.85 852.01 264.45 852.79
London Brentford 1305 256.05 868.07 264.45 852.79
London Bromley 1306 243.46 825.22 264.45 852.79
London Camberwell Green 1307 251.85 854.68 264.45 852.79
London Central London 1308 272.84 924.35 272.84 924.35
London Clerkenwell/Hampstead 1309 255.00 862.71 264.45 852.79
London Croydon 1310 248.70 841.27 264.45 852.79
London Ealing 1311 264.44 897.77 264.45 852.79
London Enfield 1312 250.80 849.33 264.45 852.79
London Greenwich/Woolwich 1313 240.30 814.49 264.45 852.79
London Haringey 1314 259.20 878.80 264.45 852.79
London Harrow 1315 251.85 854.68 264.45 852.79
London Havering 1316 235.06 795.75 264.45 852.79
London Heathrow 1317 315.86 1,071.72 315.86 1,071.72
London Hendon/Barnet 1318 253.95 860.04 264.45 852.79
London Highbury Corner 1319 264.44 894.88 264.45 852.79
London Kingston-Upon-Thames 1320 262.35 889.50 264.45 852.79
London Newham 1321 252.90 857.36 264.45 852.79
London Old Street 1322 251.85 854.68 264.45 852.79
London Redbridge 1323 259.20 878.80 264.45 852.79
London Richmond-Upon-Thames 1324 277.04 937.73 277.04 937.73
London South London 1325 264.44 894.88 264.45 852.79
London Sutton 1326 250.80 849.33 264.45 852.79
London Thames 1327 250.80 849.33 264.45 852.79
London Tower Bridge 1328 267.59 908.27 267.59 908.27
London Uxbridge 1329 242.41 822.54 264.45 852.79
London Waltham Forest 1330 235.06 798.42 264.45 852.79
London West London 1331 270.74 918.97 270.74 918.97
London Wimbledon 1332 257.09 870.77 264.45 852.79