News that the Legal Services Commission (LSC) has decided to cut the legal aid contract of the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) was greeted with dismay by local MP John Leech.
The GMIAU could see the amount of legal aid it provides cut by 70%. John Leech, the Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, referred to his own experiences of dealing with the GMIAU and called for a reversal of the decision:
"The GMIAU has offered a high quality service to my own constituents, and without their advice a number of immigration and asylum seeker cases that I have dealt with would frankly not have gotten anywhere. I am very concerned at how this 70% cut will affect both the GMIAU and the people it helps."
Mr Leech has taken this issue to Parliament and has also asked the Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke, to intervene, saying that this decision could backfire on the Government:
"I have put forward an early day motion to attract attention to this matter in Parliament and written to Ken Clarke asking him to urgent reconsider the decision made. What the LSC don't realise is that without the excellent and informed advice from the GMIAU, the UK Border Agency will end up making a number of mistakes when dealing with cases, something that will drive up their own costs."
Mr Leech added,
"A lot of immigration and asylum seeker cases have lives at stake; and so I urge the Secretary of State for Justice to intervene and have the original contract of the GMIAU restored before it's too late."
1. The Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) is an independent voluntary organisation based at 1 Delaunays Road, Manchester, M8 4QS and can be contacted at: 0161 740 7722
2. The new contract, reduced by 70%, will come into force in October 2010.
3. The early day motion (EDM 658) proposed by John Leech MP can be found here: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=41615&SESSION=905
"GREATER MANCHESTER IMMIGRATION AID UNIT 27.07.2010
Leech, John
That this House is concerned at the decision by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) to cut the legal aid contract of the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) from October; notes that this cut amounts to a 70 per cent. reduction in legal aid that the GMIAU can provide; further notes that the GMIAU is a fully independent voluntary organisation; recognises the invaluable service the GMIAU has provided, and continues to provide, to individuals involved in numerous asylum and immigration cases; further notes that this service has been provided for free to those qualifying under the Legal Help scheme; expresses concern that the GMIAU may not be able to continue assisting in as many cases as it currently does; is further concerned about the future welfare of those who could face possible deportation without the legal assistance provided by the GMIAU; and calls on the Secretary of State for Justice to intervene and urgently review the decision by the LSC."
4. A BBC News report earlier this year (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8537987.stm) mentions that the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has about 200,000 outstanding cases, with several going back a number of years.
5. The Labour Government target to deal with all of them by July 2011 reportedly required the UKBA to be processing 11,000 cases a month. The actual number being dealt with was around 5,000 a month. The UKBA's chief inspector, John Vine, called Labour's target "unachievable".
6. John Leech was interviewed about this matter on Andy Crane's lunchtime show on BBC Radio Manchester on 28th July 2010.
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