Legal aid lawyers stuck in the Legal Services Commission’s payments system will be delighted to learn that, to free up staff time to deal with the backlog, the quango is reducing the hours it will operate the helpline that deals with queries.

Solicitors owed money by the commission will now have to call between the hours of 10am to midday or 3-5pm to speak to anyone, when presumably many will be met with an engaged tone.

Obiter wonders whether the commission is also planning to play some irritatingly repetitive ‘hold’ music, just to see how long it takes before a member of the profession throws their phone out of the window. Simply Red’s ‘Money’s Too Tight to Mention’, perhaps.