We welcome the Legal Aid Agency’s work to respond to legal aid providers concerns in relation to the “culture of refusal”. We also recognise their commitment to ensure that taxpayers’ money is managed properly. We acknowledge that the staff and leadership at the Legal Aid Agency have limited scope to alter the fundamental dynamics that determine their role within the broader legal aid system. Nevertheless, we believe that the evidence submitted indicates that the Government and the Ministry of Justice need to revaluate the Legal Aid Agency’s priorities. By asking the Agency to prioritise the “error rate” over other considerations, particularly access to justice and the sustainability of providers, the Government risks missing the wood for the trees. The Government’s work on the sustainability of both criminal and civil legal aid should consider how to empower the Legal Aid Agency to take a more flexible and proactive approach to funding legal aid. The Government should ensure that providers are not required to conduct disproportionate amounts of unpaid work to apply for funding.