§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what assessment he has made of the extent of the needs for assistance in respect of legal services in(a) Teesside and (b) Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East; and if he will make a statement. [131212]
§ Mr. LockThe Northern Regional Legal Services Committee of the then Legal Aid Board carried out an assessment of the need for legal services in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool and Stockton during the course of 1998. The results of this assessment were published by the Legal Aid Board in February 1999.
Following the launch of the Community Legal Service in April 2000, Community Legal Service Partnerships (CLSPs) have been formed in each of the four local authority areas. Further assessments of legal needs are being carried out as part of the work of these Partnerships. In Middlesbrough, the needs assessment has been completed and will be discussed by the Partnerships on 18 July 2000. In Hartlepool the needs assessment is currently underway and in Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton the needs assessment will be carried out later this year.
§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what plans he has to create a community legal service partnership in the Teesside Region; and if he will make a statement. [131211]
§ Mr. LockCommunity Legal Service (CLS) Partnerships have been formed in Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, and Hartlepool. The Legal Services Commission is also looking to establish a Community Legal Service Partnership in Redcar and Cleveland, but this is still subject to further discussions with the local authority.160W We hope that Redcar and Cleveland will form a CLS Partnership by Spring 2001. If it proves possible to form a CLS Partnership in this area earlier, we would be delighted.