The Act Commentary on Sections Part 6 - Legal aid and other payments for legal services Section 151:  Criminal Defence Service: information requests
682.This section amends section 17A of and Schedule 3 to the Access to Justice Act 1999. Subsection (1) extends the power to seek information from the Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Secretary of State, which at present may be exercised for purposes relating to an individual’s financial eligibility for legal aid services, to cover purposes relating to an individual’s liability to make contributions towards the cost of those services.
683.Subsections (3) to (5) amend paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to the Access to Justice Act 1999 to provide that requests may be made for information relating to a time specified in the request, as well as for information as at the date of the request. Subsection (7) is a consequential amendment to paragraph 7 of Schedule 3 (restrictions on disclosure).
684.Subsection (4) amends paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to allow requests to be made for any previous names or addresses of an individual and for information about an individual’s benefit status at any time specified in the request.
685.Subsection (5) amends paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to allow requests to the Commissioners to be made for information about whether or not an individual is (or at any time was) self-employed and for information about an individual’s benefit status at any time.
686.Subsection (6) amends paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to allow information requests to be made about an individual’s assets as well as income.
687.Subsection (8) amends paragraph 8 of Schedule 3 to clarify how requests as to an individual’s employment apply where the individual is an office-holder, and to delete an unnecessary provision relating to the 1998 Act.