Please note the ten steps to a successful publicly funded legal system according to the Legal Services Commission:

- Administer a system of civil contracts by demanding more while paying less.

- Be administratively incompetent.

Lose files, make errors and occasionally forget to pay law firms at all.

Become a complete laughing stock but be unaccountable.

- Carry out regular, demanding audits yearly.

- Award firms a category 1 and tell them they are 'flagship firms'.

- Ask them to assist in piloting a new mini audit system for high achieving firms.

- Tell firms that they meet the criteria and to carry on as before.

- Change the criteria without warning or consultation.

- Grade category 1 firms as category 3.

- Demand the return of a large sum of money.

- Express surprise when firms voice fears for their survival and wish to withdraw from publicly funded work.

Christopher Hill, Foster Wells, Aldershot, Hampshire