Current status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to grant the Scottish Legal Aid Board competence to make interest payments on overdue accounts under the Scottish Legal Aid schemes and whether it intends to authorise ex gratia payments where legal aid or advice and assistance accounts are not settled within 30 days.
I do not intend to require the Board to pay interest on accounts or to make ex-gratia payments. The Board is making good progress in dealing with outstanding cases and there is no need for such arrangements which would add to complexity and delay.