A joint press release with West Lothian Council

West Lothian Council - Launch of West Lothian Advice Partnership

Thursday 18 April 2002

Bristow Muldoon MSP launched the West Lothian Advice Partnership, a new approach to delivering legal advice and improving access to justice, tomorrow (Friday 19 April) in Livingston.

Legal advice and support will be more readily available to socially excluded people in West Lothian as a result of an initiative by the West Lothian Advice Partnership and the Scottish Legal Aid Board.

The partnership is one of four pilots in a programme pioneering new approaches to delivering legal advice and improving access to justice. Solicitors employed by the Scottish Legal Aid Board will work with local advice giving organisation.

The pilot project brings together the expertise of all major advice providers in West Lothian, providing advice and support to socially excluded people. Partners include:

• West Lothian Council Advice Shop
  
• Citizens Advice Bureau West Lothian
  
• Workers Benefits Advice Project
  
• Breich Valley Information Service
  
• Scottish Legal Aid Board
  
• Keegan Walker solicitors

Speaking at the event, Bristow Muldoon MSP said "I am delighted to be formally launching the West Lothian Advice Partnership. This is an exciting and innovative programme to delivery legal advice and will improve access to justice for the most socially excluded people in West Lothian.

"I am particularly heartened that so many members of the West Lothian legal community have signed up for the programme and the range of experts available to the public is a wide one.

"This initiative is a fine example of social inclusion in action and I welcome the commitment of the Scottish Executive to breaking down the barriers to legal advice."

Referring to the project, the Board's Chairman, Jean Couper, said: "This is a very exciting project that will provide legal help to socially excluded people in West Lothian. We very much welcome the partnership and look forward to watching its progress and impact on the community it is working with."

West Lothian Council's voluntary organisations spokeswoman, Councillor Cathy Muldoon said: "The development is significant for West Lothian as it is one of only four in Scotland, and the only one to involve all the major local advice providers. We are confident that the project will increase access to legal services and deliver real benefits for the people of West Lothian through a blend of public, private and voluntary sector provision.

"We are delighted that we have secured the services of solicitor Susan Downs, who will respond to legal enquiries and refer clients as appropriate to a network of local solicitors," added Councillor Muldoon.

There has been a high level of interest form West Lothian's legal profession, with 31 partners from local firms committed to involvement in the project.

The Scottish Executive has given the Scottish Legal Aid Board additional funding of £250,000 a year which has led to the creation of the pilot projects. Last year the Board invited interested organisations to submit proposals and over 40 submissions were made from across Scotland. The successful projects were announced in October 2001 at a prestigious event attended by around 150 people, including the then Deputy Justice Minister Iain Gray.

In addition to the Edinburgh pilot, asylum seekers in Glasgow, young people and rough sleepers in Edinburgh, people in rural areas of the Highlands and Islands will benefit from the other three pilot projects.

Jean Couper summed up: "The aim is to make legal advice more accessible by adapting to non-traditional legal settings and delivering services in new and different ways. The projects will provide new, innovative and much wanted services to the communities they serve, while giving the Board and others a unique insight into different ways of providing legal advice.

The information gained will be invaluable in the development of community legal services in Scotland, building upon the strengths and variety of present provisions, through new partnerships, new initiatives and new services."

For further information please contact: Scottish Legal Aid Board: Charlotte Townsend or Janet Nixon, 0131 226 7061 or e-mail townsendch@slab.org.uk or nixonja@slab.org.uk (Scottish Legal Aid Board, 44 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh EH3 7SW

West Lothian Council: Media and Communications Officer, Elaine Henderson Telephone: 01506 777127

Notes to Editor
West Lothian Advice Partnership: This partnership brings together the expertise of all the major advice providers in West Lothian, providing advice and support to socially excluded people. The solicitor will help break down barriers to the legal advice profession.

Legal advice pilot projects:
Part V of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986 allows the Board to employ solicitors to work in partnership with local advice giving organisations. In March last year the Board invited interested organisations to submit proposals for pilot projects to be run under the newly commenced powers contained in Part V. The board received over 40 submissions from such organisations or partnerships of organisations from across Scotland. The number, quality and diversity of the proposals submitted reflected the range of advice services available in Scotland and demonstrated the imagination, innovation and commitment of those offering the services.

The four successful projects were announced at a launch event hosted by the Board on 11 October. The package of projects were announced at a launch event hosted by the Board on 11 October.

The package of projects heralds the start of a programme of developing new approaches to delivering legal advice and improving access to justice. Amongst those who will benefit from the pilot projects are asylum seekers in Glasgow, people living in rural areas of the Highlands and Islands, socially excluded people in West Lothian and rough sleepers and young people in Edinburgh.

As well as commencing the necessary legislation, the Scottish Executive has given the Board additional funding of £250,000 pa for the projects. This funding meets the costs of the solicitors and the running costs of the projects, such as administration.

Legal Aid
Legal aid allows people who would not otherwise be able to afford it to access the help of a solicitor, and in some circumstances an advocate. To receive legal aid, applicants must consult a solicitor who will help them complete an application. The Board itself does not provide a legal aid service - it pays solicitors and advocates to do this.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board
The Scottish Legal Aid Board is responsible for managing legal aid in Scotland. It is a non-departmental public body set up under the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986. Twelve Board members, including the chairman, appointed by Scottish Ministers, currently oversee the work.

The Board's mission is to develop and deliver appropriate access to quality legal assistance for those eligible, in a cost-effective manner. The Board's main tasks are to consider and then grant or refuse applications for legal aid; to scrutinise accounts and pay solicitors and advocates for the legal aid work they do and to advise Scottish Ministers on legal aid matters.