§ Mr. Knowlesasked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the co-ordination between the Home Office, Lord Chancellor's Department and the Department of the Environment of current responsibilities for the operation and funding of law centres; and if she will take steps to assign these responsibilities to a single Minister.
§ The Prime MinisterLaw centres are independent local bodies (depending on local initiative and support at first instance) and are managed accordingly. The Government as such are not responsible for their operation. Financial assistance is currently provided to a number of individual law centres by the Department of the Environment under the urban programme in accordance with its general principles, priorities and procedures, and seven law centres currently receive support from the Lord Chancellor's Department. The Home Office voluntary services unit has general co-ordinating responsibilities within Government for relations with and support for the voluntary sector as a whole. There are no current plans to alter the present arrangements.