Mr. Chairman, the third area that the committee looked at was the legal aid program in the justice system. The Auditor General reviewed the legal aid program and identified a number of problems. Many of these same problems have been identified by recent studies, particularly by the Strength at Two Levels review and the recent report of the Legal Services Board. Though program costs are rising rapidly, the department does not have adequate information systems to allow it to forecast requirements or monitor expenditures.
Motion To Accept Recommendation 4, Carried
The committee recommends, and I move, that the Department of Justice and the Legal Services Board develop adequate information systems at the earliest possible date. These systems must provide managers with the information they need to monitor both costs and the quality of services. Clear deadlines must be set to develop those systems and put them in place.