Written question asked by Lord Whitehead (Labour) on Tuesday, 7 February 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 February 2006. It was answered by Bridget Prentice (Labour) on Monday, 27 February 2006 on behalf of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Office for Legal Complaints

Question: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what measures her Department is taking to ensure representation for consumer interests in the proposed Office for Legal Complaints.

Answer: I advised this House in my written statement of 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 41WS of the Government's proposals to take forward consumer focussed reform of the framework for the regulation of legal services. The proposals for the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) were set out in ‘The Future of Legal Services—putting the customers first' (Cm 6679) including that it should have a governing board with a lay majority. Members will also be required to have wide experience, including of consumer affairs and the needs of diverse consumers within society.The Legal Services Board (LSB), which will set targets for the OLC and to which the OLC will be accountable, will also be required to establish and maintain a consumer panel to ensure that consumer needs inform its decisions, including in relation to its oversight of the OLC.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 443 c120W;443 c120W; 50937
Session: 2005-06
Related items: Legal Services
Monday, 17 October 2005
Written statements
House of Commons
Subjects: Complaints Consumers Legal profession Regulation Legal Services Board Office for Legal Complaints
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk