A SOLICITOR from a Nottingham law centre has told an inquiry that proposed cuts to legal aid would lead to more litigation – not less.

Sally Denton, senior solicitor at Hyson Green-based Nottingham Law Centre, told an inquiry led by MPs in Westminster that early advice prevented more litigation than it caused.

She said: "If cases are prepared adequately from the beginning, they are less likely to end up in the courts."

She warned the cuts would wipe out free specialist advice on debt and welfare benefits in Nottingham. "Early intervention is so important in getting people back into a productive life," she said.

The justice committee launched an inquiry after the Government announced proposals to cut the legal aid bill by £350 million a year by 2015.

The Nottingham Law Centre receives £300,000 – or 57% of its total budget – from the Government's legal aid scheme.

Consultations last until February 14.