What conversations has the Welsh Government had with the charity Support Through Court over the past five years regarding the provision of financial assistance?
Support Through Court is one of a number of charities which provide services to support Litigants in Person – people who are representing themselves in civil courts. The need for such support has risen significantly as a result of the reductions in legal aid made by the UK Government, most notably through the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. It is therefore the responsibility of the UK Government to provide the financial assistance necessary to sustain these support services.
The Welsh Government has spoken to both Support Through Court and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) about funding arrangements for services designed to help Litigants in Person. While ultimately the funding available for these services has matched the levels made available in the previous financial year, we highlighted our concerns with the MoJ that the impact of the uncertainty of continuity of funding would severely disrupt many organisations and could therefore lead to a reduction in support available to people passing through the court system.
We are pleased to note that Support Through Court have been successful in their application for funding until the end of this financial year through the new Help Accessing Legal Support regime and have also successfully explored new avenues of funding with Cardiff University which will enable them to continue their operation in Cardiff for at least another three years.
The Welsh Government continues to monitor the position to ensure there is appropriate provision of this important support service in civil courts across Wales.