"Citizens Advice is warning that one of the Government's flagship policies - the modernisation of the legal aid system - is now in danger of collapse.

Access to legal aid solicitors in England and Wales is a postcode lottery with one in four Citizens Advice Bureaux saying they are in an "advice desert", according to a survey published today."

From today's CA press release @ http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/prelfull.ihtml?id=0000154

It seems that the Department of Constitutional Affairs would disagree, especially from the last line of this reply to a Parliamentary Question answered by David Lammy yesterday, in which he somewhat pre-empts the outcome of the independent review of the CLS currently taking place when he writes about Ministers deciding how to "build on the success of the CLS"...
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/cm040210/text/40210w11.htm#40210w11.html_sbhd9

Community Legal Service
31. Ms Keeble: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps are being taken to develop the Community Legal Service. <153660>
Mr. Lammy: The Legal Services Commission, on behalf of my Department, is examining new ways of delivering services through the Partnership Initiative
10 Feb 2004 : Column 1333W
Budget and Methods of Delivery Pilots. These programmes will increase access to provision of legal and advice services for those most in need. An independent review is taking place to evaluate the impact of the CLS after three years of live operation. The report is due by 31 March 2004. Informed by the report's recommendations, Ministers will then decide how to build on the success of the CLS since its introduction.