Policy
29 May, 2008
LSC announces plans for 6 new Community Legal Advice services
A total of 14 to be established by April 2010
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has today announced plans to establish Community Legal Advice services in six new areas in England and Wales.
On the Law Society agreeing last month to discontinue its legal action in relation to the unified contract, the LSC undertook to publish a 'closed list' of all Community Legal Advice Centres and Networks (CLACs) and (CLANs) planned for the period ending April 2010.
With four centres already running in Gateshead, Leicester, Derby and Portsmouth and a preferred bidder having been identified to run the centre in Hull, the LSC confirmed today that it is -
- working in partnership with local authorities with the aim of establishing CLACs in - Manchester; Stockport; and Sunderland.
- endeavouring to set up CLANS in - the area covering Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend; Gloucestershire, and West Sussex.
In addition, discussions are already underway with local authorities to establish CLACs in Barking and Dagenham, and Wakefield, as well as a CLAN in East Riding.
NB - the LSC says that it will continue to work with other local authorities for services opening from 1 April 2010 and that this may include running a tendering process before this date.
For more information, see the LSC press release Plans for six new Community Legal Advice services announced.
See also the related rightsnet policy new stories -
- Cornwall County Council withdraw from CLAN: Fears about sustainability of local advice services (25 April, 2008)
- LSC and Portsmouth City Council announce launch of CLAC: Southern Focus Trust and Portsmouth CAB to provide the contract (21 April, 2008)
- LSC publish 5 year route map for civil legal aid: Roll-out of BVT from April 2013 (21 April, 2008)
- Hull CAB under threat due to CLAC: A4e expected to win contract (16 April, 2008)
- LSC, Law Society and MoJ reach agreement on future of Unified Contract: Increase of 2% on 'fixed fees' (3 April, 2008)
- Leicester Law Centre to close: A4e win contract to provide CLAC in Leicester (12 March, 2008)
- Unified Contract: LSC actively engaged in discussions with the Law Society: Not 'necessary or desirable for this matter to be resolved by the courts' (1 February, 2008)
- Law Society to issue second judicial review of Unified Contract: Guidance sought on how LSC must remedy breaches (31 January, 2008)
- Latest development in the Law Society challenge of the Unified Contract : Pre-action protocol letter issued to the LSC (28 January, 2008)
- Law Society issues response to LSC's intention to terminate Unified Contract: Civil fixed fee schemes not valid (7 January, 2008)
- LSC update on Unified Contract after Court of Appeal judgement: Intention to terminate Unified Contract and re-tender for the work (3 January, 2008)
- Unified Contract judgement - implications for providers: LSC must rescind October 2007 amendments (5 December, 2007)
- Judgement on the Law Society's challenge of the LSC's unified contract announced: Law Society wins appeal over LSC's right to unilaterally amend the contract (29 November, 2007)
- Law Society and LSC secure expedited Court of Appeal hearing : Following judgement in July on unified contract (12 October, 2007)
- LSC criminal contract changes delayed until January 2008: But civil fixed fees go ahead as planned (3 October, 2007)
- LSC announces appeal against the unified contract judicial review judgement: Decision to be challenged on their ability to amend 'technical specifications' (7 September, 2007)
- LSC 'confirm' their position on the unified contract: No plans to amend provisions in the short term (2 August, 2007)
- High Court upholds Law Society's objections to the unified contract: 'Judgement underlines the shortcomings of the LSC approach' to legal aid reform (30 July, 2007)
- LSC publishes draft Unified Contract Specification : Reforms to be implemented from October 2007 (18 July, 2007)
- Government faces double challenge over legal aid reforms: Law Society, CRE and ethnic minority law firms go to the high court (9 July, 2007)
- Law Society issues judicial review proceedings: LSC's right to unilaterally amend the unified contract to be challenged (27 April, 2007)
- Law Society threaten judicial review on unified contract: Legal Services Commission urged to delay contract implementation (27 March, 2007)
