Legal aid minister Lord Bach has previously called for the civil and criminal legal aid budget to be “rebalanced” in favour of civil legal aid. He said: “It is 10 years since the Legal Services Commission was established and in that time there has been considerable changes in the type of legal advice and services that the public needs.

“I believe now is the right time to review the channels through which legal aid is delivered to ensure that we are getting the best value for taxpayers’ money. It’s also a good time re-examine the best ways to deliver this vital service to ensure a healthy future for legal aid.”