§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Meirionnydd Nant Conwy constituency, the effects on Meirionnydd Nant Conwy of the Lord Chancellor's Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154989]
§ Jane KennedyThe Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for the administration of the courts and for legal services. We have taken steps to improve the management and effectiveness of the services we provide and to meet customer needs, including working closely with other agencies to provide a fair, swift and effective system of justice, to improve the availability of affordable and good quality legal services and to improve the lives of children and help build and sustain strong families.
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy falls within the Gwynedd Community Legal Service Partnership (CLSP) area. Across Gwynedd, contracts have been awarded to local law firms for 2001–02 with a total value of £197,000. These cover categories of law including family, debt, housing and welfare benefits. Contracts with Gwynedd CAB, Shelter Cymru and Bangor Disablement Welfare Rights will also benefit local residents.
The Legal Services Commission is considering expressions of interest in the provision of bilingual telephone advice services for financially eligible clients in Gwynedd, in acknowledgement of the fact that this is a large rural area with significant numbers of people unable easily to access services delivered through offices in the larger towns. An announcement on the award of a telephone contract for Gwynedd is anticipated within the next two months.