§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what policies(a) initiated and (b) managed by his Department and its predecessor since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if he will make a statement. [124092]
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§ Mr. LammyThe Department for Constitutional Affairs, and before it the Lord Chancellor's Department, is responsible for the administration of the courts and tribunals, for legal services, civil and family law and for a range of constitutional matters. We are improving the management and effectiveness of the services we provide and are responding to customer needs, including working closely with other agencies to ensure the effective delivery of justice, a fair and effective system of civil and administrative law, to protect the vulnerable, to increase consumer choice in legal services, to modernise the constitution and to ensure proper access to information by citizens.
The East Lancashire with Blackburn Community Legal Service (CLS) Partnership, which includes the area covered by Pendle parliamentary constituency, has been set up to improve local access to good quality legal and advice services. In particular, funding from the second round of the Partnership Initiative Budget (£136,000) will allow Pendle Citizens Advice Bureau to develop a rural information service to communities across the Pendle area.