Board and committee papers

What standard papers will be published?

The Board has agreed that the papers that deal with the following will be published routinely:

• Progress against the Business Plan
• How we are performing on a range of our functions
• The current position on our administrative expenditure
• Commentary on trends in legal assistance
• Data on complaints received
• Approval of the Annual Report and Accounts, Corporate Plan and Business Plan.

If any of these papers include sensitive information then we will recommend that the Board withholds the paper, redacts (blacks out) the sensitive information or we include the information in the Chief Executive’s update report which is categorised as ‘private’.

What standard papers won’t be published?

The Board has agreed that the following papers will be classed as ‘private’ and not published. These papers are more likely to contain information that is sensitive:

• Papers on our risk registers
• The current position on Legal Aid Fund expenditure and our expenditure forecast
• The Chief Executive’s Report

The primary purpose of the LAPC is to advise the Board on development and implementation of operational policies informing internal decision-making guidance on registration, applications and accounts, and external guidance for solicitors and applicants. The Committee:

• review operational policies informing guidance for applicants, solicitors and decision makers and advise to the extent that they meet the requirements of the LAPC Policy Framework
• review published guidance and advise to the extent that an agreed standard for published guidance is met
• seek assurance from the Executive that changes in the justice system are appropriately taken account of in existing operational policy
• carry out all other relevant activities as shall be deemed appropriate or as requested by the Board
• report annually and as required on the work of the Committee and any other significant issues to the Board
• act as a decision maker in review applications arising from cases initially decided by the Legal Service Cases Committee, or in cases otherwise referred to it by the Legal Services Cases Committee.