Legal Services Board and Solicitors Regulation Authority: Standards

(asked on 20th April 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what processes are in place to ensure that the (a) Legal Services Board and (b) Solicitors Regulation Authority operate within the minimum expected standard of performance across their five regulatory performance standards.


Answered by
Alex Chalk Portrait
Alex Chalk
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
This question was answered on 27th April 2020

The Legal Services Board (LSB) is responsible for monitoring, reviewing and assessing regulators – including the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) – to ensure they meet the minimum expected standard of performance across the regulatory performance standards. As the oversight body, the regulatory performance standards do not apply directly to the LSB itself. As an Arm’s Length Body, the LSB carries out its operational functions, including applying the performance standards, independently of the Department.

The Ministry of Justice monitors the performance of the LSB against its statutory responsibilities as set out in the Legal Services Act 2007 and the policy objectives set out in its annual business plans. Oversight of its performance is carried out through a partnership arrangement which includes assurance meetings between officials of the Department and senior LSB executives.

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