§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what(a) number and (b) percentage of advice providers listed in the Community Legal Service Directory have failed to make a positive commitment in writing to the aims and objectives of the Community Legal Service and to commit to making a Quality Mark application by the deadline of October; and if she will break these figures down (i) with reference to type of advice provided, (ii) with reference to client group and (iii) excluding legal firms. [18846]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThere are 9,878 organisations listed in the current Community Legal Service Directory (3rd Edition) and 7,112 (72 per cent.) have either made an application or have obtained the Quality Mark. Of the remaining 2,766 (28 per cent.), most have made a formal commitment in writing to apply for the Quality Mark by October 2001 but a small number have not applied. The organisations who failed to meet the October deadline may write to the Legal Services Commission setting out the reasons why they were unable to apply by that date and consideration will be given as to whether or not to accept the application.
109WThe Legal Services Commission is working with the London Learning and Skills Council to help support small and ethnic groups achieve the Quality Mark. A pilot is being run in two London boroughs and includes disability groups.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when she intends to remove advice providers without Quality Marks from the Community Legal Service directory; and what target she has set for the(a) number and (b) percentage of advice providers who should have a Quality Mark by this date. [18845]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThose organisations which have not applied for a Quality Mark will not appear in the next edition of the Community Legal Service Directory, which is to be published in April 2002 (4th Edition). The deadline for applications was the end of October 2001. Organisations which have failed to meet this deadline may write to the Legal Services Commission setting out the reasons why they were unable to apply by that date and consideration will be given as to whether or not to accept the application. There are currently 502 Quality Mark holders at the General Help and General Help including casework levels, and over 1,700 organisations that have applied for the Quality Mark at General Help and General Help including casework level. The target for the number of advice providers to April 2002 is 1,250 at the General Help and General Help including casework levels.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate she has made of the(a) cost and (b) burden to an advice provider of applying for a Quality Mark; and what plans she has to offer small voluntary organisations help to meet these costs and burdens. [18843]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Legal Services Commission is working with the Learning and Skills Council to assess the resource implications for an advice provider in applying for a Quality Mark. This work is due to be completed in April 2002 and will feed into the Legal Services Commission's Quality Mark support strategy. The Legal Services Commission has commenced a number of initiatives that have the potential to provide information about the needs of advice providers and identify barriers to accessing the Quality Mark. A number of the projects are targeted at smaller organisations including Black Minority Ethnic groups and refugee support groups.