§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the same levels of legal advice and support are available to people throughout England. [155034]
§ Mr. LammyOur aim in providing legal advice and support is to provide common levels of provision across the country, taking into account local needs. This is done through the Legal Services Commission, which is responsible to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs for maintaining and developing the Community Legal Service (CLS). The key aim of the CLS is to provide greater and more easily accessible civil legal advice services to people within England and Wales. Regional Legal Services Committees and CLS Partnerships are responsible for co-ordinating the delivery of local legal and advice services in their area and, through an analysis of priority legal needs at a local level, can ensure that resources are targeted more effectively to those most in need.
In addition, the Commission has put in place a number of initiatives to improve access to advice that go beyond the traditional model of legal aid provided by solicitors from their offices, including the 'Just Ask!' website and telephone advice services. A national telephone advice service will be available from summer 2004 following a successful pilot.