SWAN is aware that a number of legal and justice groups are supporting an amendment to the passage of the new Legal Aid Bill through parliament. SWAN does not support the cuts to legal aid in any form, but would encourage comment on our forum by SWAN members about this campaign, which is supported by the Law Centres Federation. A snippet of the analysis is below.

From the joint campaign:

'The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill currently being considered by the House of Lords will deny more than 140,000 children a year the legal advice and representation that currently protects their rights and welfare.

Our poorest and most vulnerable families will lose legal aid for professional help with problems affecting their children related to education, medical negligence, welfare benefits, homelessness, and family separation.

We call on the Government to take a step back and consider the damaging impact on children of its legal aid proposals. And we urge Peers to support the amendment to the Bill proposed by Baroness O’Loan, Baroness Benjamin and Baroness Butler-Sloss to retain legal aid in cases where children are affected.'