Part 5: Modern Slavery Section 66: Civil legal services under section 9 of LASPO: add-on services in relation to the national referral mechanism
Overview: This section amends various paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 ("LASPO 2012") to enable advice on referral into the national referral mechanism (NRM) to be provided as "add-on" advice where individuals are in receipt of civil legal services for certain immigration and asylum matters.
	Background: Each paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to LASPO 2012 describes the types of civil legal service that may be made available. Services listed in that Part are known colloquially as "in scope". To obtain legal aid, an applicant must have a determination from the Director of Legal Aid Casework that their issue is in scope by virtue of being listed in Schedule 1, and that they qualify for the services in accordance with the statutory means and merits tests which are set out in section 11 LASPO 2012 and in Regulations made under that Act.
	The aim of the section is to identify and support individuals who may be potential victims of modern slavery or human trafficking. This section will ensure that where individuals are receiving advice on an in scope immigration issue listed in these specific paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to LASPO 2012, that they are also entitled to add-on advice on referral into the NRM as part of that advice. The intention is that potential victims of modern slavery or human trafficking will be able to understand what the NRM is and what it does, and provide informed consent to be referred into it.
	Subsection 1 sets out that Part 1 of Schedule 1 to LASPO 2012 is being amended.
	Subsections 2 to 5 amend paragraphs 19, 25, 26, 27, 27A, 30 and 31A by inserting a new paragraph into each of those paragraphs, setting out that civil legal services on referral into the NRM will also be available to an individual who is already receiving advice under one of those paragraphs. It also provides that certain civil legal services cannot be provided as part of this advice, such as advocacy and attendance at an interview.
	Subsection 6 provides definitions.
	Subsection 7 sets out that civil legal services on referral into the NRM will only be available as add-on services in relation to a determination made after the amendment comes into force.