Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to introduce further regulation of the making of wills; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
Following a formal proposal made by the Legal Services Board (LSB), on 14 May 2013 the Lord Chancellor issued a Decision Notice, confirming that he had decided not to make will writing a reserved legal activity under the Legal Services Act 2007. In the Decision Notice, the Lord Chancellor indicated that further efforts should be made to see if alternatives to regulation could be made more effective in reducing consumer detriment in relation to will writing.
Since then, the LSB has encouraged measures to reduce consumer detriment and improve standards, in both the regulated and unregulated legal service sectors. The Solicitors Regulation Authority issued guidance for solicitors on will-writing in May 2014, and those in the unregulated sector, including will writing trade bodies, have met with the LSB to work to improve coverage and effectiveness of voluntary schemes and codes.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the next meeting between officials of his Department, Urban Vision and Stoke-on-Trent City Council to discuss Fenton Town Hall will take place.
Answered by Mike Penning
Ministry of Justice officials met, including telephone conferences, with Urban Vision on one occasion and with Stoke on Trent City Council on three occasions in the last three months. There are no further meetings scheduled to take place. The MoJ is now in commercial discussions for the sale of the property to a private bidder.
Members of the community in Stoke-on-Trent have made their views on the court building clear to us, and we have engaged in constructive dialogue with Urban Vision as they developed their business case.
Following those discussions, we offered to transfer ownership of the building to Stoke-on-Trent City Council, for a peppercorn rate so they could work with Urban Vision and others on the long term future of the building. Unfortunately the council has declined that offer and sadly now we will be looking to sell the court.
We were keen to explore solutions that suited the community but we have a duty to get best value for the taxpayer when disposing of surplus property and this building had been empty for over two years.
We will be paying for three of the war memorials to be carefully relocated to the nearby Fenton Christ Church. There will be a legal duty for whoever buys the building to preserve the Minton Memorial which cannot be safely moved.
Asked by: Robert Flello (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions officials from his Department have met (a) Urban Vision and (b) Stoke-on-Trent City Council to discuss Fenton Town Hall in the last three months.
Answered by Mike Penning
Ministry of Justice officials met, including telephone conferences, with Urban Vision on one occasion and with Stoke on Trent City Council on three occasions in the last three months. There are no further meetings scheduled to take place. The MoJ is now in commercial discussions for the sale of the property to a private bidder.
Members of the community in Stoke-on-Trent have made their views on the court building clear to us, and we have engaged in constructive dialogue with Urban Vision as they developed their business case.
Following those discussions, we offered to transfer ownership of the building to Stoke-on-Trent City Council, for a peppercorn rate so they could work with Urban Vision and others on the long term future of the building. Unfortunately the council has declined that offer and sadly now we will be looking to sell the court.
We were keen to explore solutions that suited the community but we have a duty to get best value for the taxpayer when disposing of surplus property and this building had been empty for over two years.
We will be paying for three of the war memorials to be carefully relocated to the nearby Fenton Christ Church. There will be a legal duty for whoever buys the building to preserve the Minton Memorial which cannot be safely moved.