HC Deb 07 February 2002 vol 379 cc1130-1W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what additional training is made available to paralegal staff in the Community Legal Service. [33301]

Ms Rosie Winterton

The Legal Services Commission funds a number of initiatives to support additional training for both lawyers and paralegals. This includes training to cover issues in relation to the CLS Quality Mark as well as support for training in specific categories of law, such as that provided through the expansion package aimed at increasing the number of trained immigration and asylum law advisers. The Partnership Innovation Budget is also being used to support a range of training initiatives, and this was a key feature of a number of the successful bids announced last September.

Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many reports or submissions the Community Legal Service have produced since it was first established; and if she will list them. [33292]

Ms Rosie Winterton

The information in the form requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

The Community Legal Service does not of itself produce reports and submissions. However, the Legal Services Commission, which has a statutory responsibility to establish, maintain and develop the Community Legal Service, the Lord Chancellor's Department, and Community Legal Service Partnerships, have all produced a range of publications since the launch of the Community Legal Service in April 2000. These cover a range of subject areas, such as the Community Legal Service Quality Mark and Partnership Innovation Budget, but also extend to include individual strategic plans published by Community Legal Service Partnerships.