Access to Justice Act 1999

Winding-down of Legal Aid Board

6 (1) The Legal Aid Board shall give to the Legal Services Commission all the information, prepare all the documents and do all other things which appear to the Commission appropriate for the purpose of facilitating—

(a) the carrying into effect of the transfers effected by paragraph 2(1), and

(b) the exercise of any functions transferred by paragraph 2(1)(a) or conferred or imposed on the Commission by this Schedule;

and the Legal Aid Board may do anything else which appears to it appropriate for that purpose.

(2) The Legal Aid Board shall, as soon as possible after the time when section 1 of this Act comes into force, prepare a report in accordance with section 5(3) of the [1988 c. 34.] Legal Aid Act 1988—

(a) in relation to the last financial year ending before that time (if it has not done so before then), and

(b) in relation to the period between the end of that financial year and that time (as if that period were a financial year).

(3) The Legal Aid Board shall, as soon as possible after the time when section 1 of this Act comes into force, prepare a statement of accounts in accordance with section 7(1) of the Legal Aid Act 1988—

(a) in relation to the last financial year ending before that time (if it has not done so before then), and

(b) in relation to the period between the end of that financial year and that time (as if that period were a financial year).

(4) Subsections (2) to (7) of section 7 to the Legal Aid Act 1988 shall, after section 1 of this Act comes into force, apply in relation to—

(a) the preparation of a statement under sub-paragraph (3)(a) or (b), and

(b) the auditing of accounts kept under that section for the periods mentioned in sub-paragraph (3)(a) and (b).

(5) From the time when section 1 of this Act comes into force, the Legal Services Commission shall make available to the Legal Aid Board such facilities as it may reasonably require for exercising its functions under this paragraph.

(6) The Lord Chancellor may pay to members of the Legal Aid Board—

(a) any remuneration which he considers appropriate in respect of the performance of their duties as members of the Board after the time when section 1 of this Act comes into force, and

(b) any allowances which he determines should be paid to them in respect of expenses properly incurred by them in the performance of those duties after that time.

(7) The Lord Chancellor may determine that, as from the coming into force of section 1 of this Act, the number of members of the Legal Aid Board shall be reduced to a number which he considers appropriate (and may, accordingly, remove any such members from office).

(8) The Lord Chancellor shall meet the costs of remunerating auditors and any other costs incurred by the Legal Aid Board in connection with the exercise of any of its functions under this paragraph.