I am writing with regard to the letter headed 'No level playing field' (letters online, 11 March). The credibility of the immigration system and the lawyers that work within it rests on this accreditation scheme, which took its current form in 2004 to provide a high level of assurance on standards.

The Legal Services Commission requires solicitors who want to do publicly funded work to be accredited and continues to rely upon it when addressing criticisms of legal aid and legal aid lawyers. So the robustness of the scheme affords appreciable protection for Law Society members working in this important area of law.

The Society is intent on reforming all of the various accreditation schemes it assumed control of in July 2009 and will be reviewing reaccreditation requirements and the manner of reaccreditation in all schemes. The comparisons Matthew Davies makes with these new arrangements and other schemes is something we will be tackling.

Des Hudson, chief executive, Law Society