Appendix
Letter from Brian Harvey, Acting Chief Executive,
Legal Services Commission to Rt Hon Alan Beith MP, Chairman, Constitutional
Affairs Committee
SPECIALIST SUPPORT CONTRACTS
I am writing to inform you that the Commission has
given careful consideration to the concerns raised since our decision,
communicated on 16 January this year, to terminate the CLS Specialist
Support contracts. In the light of that consideration, in particular
consideration of the process of consultation that was undertaken,
the Commission has decided to review its decision. Accordingly,
we have today written to all Specialist Support contract holders
to inform them of this. I enclose a copy of the press statement
we have also issued today.
This action is of course in accord with the views
expressed by your Committee in its
recent Report.
The Commission intends to publish its CLS Strategy
(a draft of which has already been subject to public consultation)
shortly. Once that document is published, and in the light of
its content, the Commission intends to formulate and bring forward
proposals relating to the future of the Specialist Support initiative.
These proposals will set out any changes the Commission
proposes to make and the basis and reasons for the proposed changes.
Once the proposals are formulated, Specialist Support contract
holders will be consulted.
22 March 2006
PRESS STATEMENT: CLS SPECIALIST SUPPORT SERVICES
The Commission has given careful consideration to
the various points raised in the judicial review proceedings and
otherwise. In the light of that consideration, particularly of
the process of the consultation that was undertaken, the Commission
has decided to review its decision to terminate the Specialist
Support contracts and has today written to the providers informing
them that their contracts will continue for the time being. Specialist
Support services will therefore continue, under the same terms,
after 19 July 2006, assuming providers are willing to continue
to provide them.
In the light of this announcement, we have asked
the claimants in the judicial review proceedings to withdraw their
challenge to the termination decision and have offered to pay
their reasonable costs to date.
We regret the disruption our decision to terminate
the Specialist Support services has caused the providers.
We will be publishing our final five-year strategy
for the Community Legal Services very soon, following last year's
consultation. Once that document is published, and in the light
of its contents, the Commission intends to formulate proposals
about the future of the Specialist Support initiative. Those proposals
will set out:
a) any changes the Commission proposes to make;
and
b) the basis and reasons for any such proposed
changes
Once the proposals are formulated, Specialist Support
providers will be consulted and given a reasonable opportunity
to make representations. Those representations will be fully considered
before any final decision is taken. The final decision on whether
to adopt any proposed changes will be taken by our Commissioners.
We cannot rule out the possibility that the process
we now intend to follow will herald further changes to, or termination
of, the Specialist Support initiative. However, the Commission
intends to consider all options, on their merits, with an open
mind.
Legal Services Commission
22 March 2006
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