The Law Society Regulation Board has demanded a meeting with the Legal Services Commission (LSC) over its flagship plans to introduce community legal advice centres (CLACs), it has emerged.


In his written report to the board, chief executive Antony Townsend said the LSC's proposals had various possible regulatory implications, in particular relating to the rules on accounts, employed solicitors and fee-sharing.



The issues arose during the bidding process for the Leicester and Gateshead pilot centres, which are expected to open in April 2007. Mr Townsend said the LSC had been telling bidders that they needed to sort out regulatory issues with the board direct.



'This is not satisfactory as we do not have enough information about how the LSC envisages the schemes working,' he wrote.



CLACs are a key part of the LSC's strategy for the Community Legal Service, but the commission only received three bids - two for the Gateshead contract and one for Leicester (see [2006] Gazette, 7 September, 1).



The commission hopes the centres, which are located in deprived communities and financed jointly with local authorities, will provide better co-ordinated delivery of social welfare law advice.



A spokeswoman for the commission said: 'We are very happy to talk to them [the board] further and to discover the exact nature of their concerns.'



Philip Hoult