Press releases

Media Release

September 12 2007

NEW CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES STRATEGY WILL FOCUS ON PEOPLE’S NEEDS IN WALES
 
A new strategy for delivering civil legal aid and advice that is more coordinated, better geared to resolve common legal problems and delivers good value for money was launched by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) and the Welsh Assembly Government today.

Making Legal Rights a Reality in Wales sets out the shared vision for how legal aid and advice for non criminal matters such as welfare benefits, debt, housing, community care and employment will be funded, purchased and delivered across the principality in future.  This radical new approach was outlined in the LSC’s Community Legal Service (CLS) framework published last year.  The strategy for Wales is a result of a consultation exercise undertaken earlier this year and complements the National Assembly for Wales’s Making the Connections strategy.

The document explains how the LSC, Welsh Assembly Government and partners will work together to establish a Welsh framework for commissioning and delivering quality, co-ordinated services, whilst at the same time ensuring good value for money and better results.  It gives the CLS in Wales a role in solving the causes of problems, greater flexibility for tackling local issues and more opportunities to promote a better awareness of legal rights.

Welcoming the strategy, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice, said:

“The Community Legal Service (CLS) has a vital role in helping to ensure that everyone in society has access to justice, in protecting fundamental rights and in helping people to make improvements in their lives.  Achieving this vision requires effective partnership and improved co-ordination between government at all levels, service providers and users. 

“This new strategy takes account of the very different political and cultural landscape in Wales and addresses shared concerns about the exclusion of many of the most vulnerable and isolated citizens.” 

Dr Brian Gibbons AM, the Welsh Assembly Government’s Minister for Social Justice and Local Government said:

“The Community Legal Service aims to improve the public's access to quality information, advice and legal services for their civil legal problems, including debt, housing, family and employment. 

"It is the case that many people across Wales do not seek legal advice because they are afraid that it will be expensive and beyond their means.  These are often the people in most need where good legal advice and support could solve some of their most worrying and pressing problems.  It is vital that the most vulnerable and socially excluded citizens in our society have access to social justice.

"Taking forward this framework is going to prove a challenge to all concerned. However I am certain that co-ordination between government at all levels and service providers will ensure the successful delivery of legal and advice services in Wales."  

The key proposals in Making Legal Rights a Reality are:

· Making sure legal aid services are joined up in Wales.  Developing new networks of expertise will avoid people seeking help for different social welfare law problems in different places and from different services.  Research shows that it is common for people to have ‘clusters’ of related problems.  For example, people needing help with employment or benefits issues often also have problems with debt and housing.  Currently, they may have to seek help from different solicitors or agencies specialising in different areas of law.  The new approach will seek to involve other funders such as local authorities in order to deliver a seamless service, from basic advice to specialist representation in the highest courts.

· Improving access to legal aid.  Ensuring that services are provided where people who are facing poverty, social exclusion and disadvantage can access them.  New community legal advice services will provide access across wider geographical areas with a specific remit to reach the greatest areas of need.

· Working with key partners, local authorities and legal providers to deliver improvements to the CLS.  The Wales Committee for the CLS was established in March 2007 and is chaired by LSC Commissioner Tom Jones OBE.  This committee will place increased emphasis on how legal aid contributes to the wider government agenda.  The LSC plans to establish up to eight procurement areas in Wales and discussions will take place with local authorities to launch community legal advice networks within these areas over the next five years. 

Carolyn Regan, Chief Executive of the LSC, said:

“Making Legal Rights a Reality in Wales provides the next steps in taking forward the work of the LSC’s Community Legal Service strategy.  It will help us to design services for people who face real problems in their lives.  It will also ensure that we commission legal services in locations where clients need them rather than where, historically, they have been provided.  It gives the CLS in Wales a role in solving the causes of problems, greater flexibility for tackling local issues, more opportunities to promote a better awareness of legal rights and will create a good value and co-ordinated legal aid system. ” 

Paul Davies, LSC Director in Wales, said:

“Since 2000 the CLS in Wales has developed to help people with their legal advice problems.  We can now build on that success further and look forward to working with key partners in Wales to develop legal advice services that will reflect the needs of communities in Wales.  We want to ensure that the full range of social welfare law services are available throughout Wales, and will seek to address this through a process of evolution and not revolution.  We will commission integrated legal advice tailored to the needs of each area in Wales.”

ENDS
For more information please contact Emyr Williams, Communications Manager, on 029 2064 7201 or 07931 384946.

Notes to editors:

1. Making Legal Rights a Reality in Wales is the LSC/Welsh Assembly Government’s strategy for developing the Community Legal Services over the next five years.  It follows the principles of the LSC’s framework for reforming the CLS in England and Wales, published in March 2006.  Copies of both these reports are available on the LSC website at www.legalservices.gov.uk and the Welsh Assembly Government’s website, www.wales.gov.uk.  The LSC launched a 12-week consultation in December 2006.  Responses to the consultation are also available on the LSC website.
2. The Legal Services Commission (LSC) looks after legal aid in England and Wales and assists around 2 million people to get help with their legal problems each year.
3. The LSC is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry for Justice and has 15 offices in England and Wales.
4. For more information visit www.legalservices.gov.uk.