§ 39. Mr. MitchellTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to extend support under the green form scheme to additional law centres. [49912]
448WOf the 65 leased vehicles, 17 fall due for replacement in 1998–99 while 44 of the remaining 48 vehicles become due for replacement in 1999–2000. The replacement of the remaining 4 vehicles will depend on the success, or otherwise, of a PFI exercise currently under way.
(b) Nil.
Letter from Nick Matheson to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 21 July 1998:
The Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service, has asked me in my capacity as Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of vehicles owned and leased by this Agency, and the Agency's vehicle replacement programme.This Agency operates two separate businesses. The Government Car Service provides long and short term chauffeur and car hire to Ministers and senior officials. The InterDespatch Service provides secure mail services within government and the wider public sector. Each service has its own fleet of vehicles and the figures below cover both of these. Not all the Agency's vehicles will be replaced during the three years in question.The information you requested is set out in the following table.
§ Mr. HoonFor the moment, there are no specific proposals to extend support under the green form scheme to additional law centres. However, in June 1997, the Lord Chancellor issued a direction under Section 4 of the Legal Aid Act 1988 giving the Legal Aid Board the power to extend its pilot for the provision of legal advice and assistance by not-for-profit advice agencies, under the green form scheme, to allow the funding of salaried lawyers at law centres. The green form scheme will be replaced with fixed price contracts by the end of 1999. It will be open to law centres, along with other suppliers of legal services, to seek contracts.