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Lord Chancellors Dept

Answer

Mr. Connarty: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made in increasing consumer choice in legal services. [96737] Ms Rosie Winterton: In April 1998, the Institute of Legal Executives joined the Bar Council and the Law Society as an authorised body in its own right and as a fully fledged part of the legal profession, in November 1999, the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents was similarly designated. These developments represent a small, but important, increase in the number of people qualified to appear before the courts, widening the availability of legal services to the public. Reform of the law relating to conditional fees agreements has also allowed innovative products to be developed which have increased the funding options available to individuals with winnable cases. The Government remains keen to remove restrictive practices not in the public interest. The removal of such practices could provide an incentive for lawyers, or other providers, to introduce innovative, high quality and affordable services to the public. In most cases, open and competitive markets are the best way to ensure that consumers get the best possible service, while continuing to protect consumers and ensuring probity. The Government has consulted on matters that fall to it following on from the Office of Fair Trading's report on competition in professions. We are currently considering the responses to that consultation.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

96737; 400 c17W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Access Consumers Competition Legal profession Legal representation Legal opinion Restrictive practices Conditional fee agreements

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk