§ Mr. Keith HillTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions the franchising advisory Committee has met; when it plans to meet next; and if he will make a statement. [10435]
§ Mr. StreeterThe franchising advisory committee—FAC—was established to facilitate communication and consultation with the legal profession and its representative bodies during the early development of the Legal Aid Board's franchising scheme following its introduction in August 1994. I am informed by the board's chief executive that the committee met on two occasions. In December 1996, the Legal Aid Board decided that the committee should be discontinued, as more effective mechanisms for communication and consultation had been developed. Members of the FAC have been informed of this decision.