Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the solicitor profession remains accessible to all applicants.

Under the framework established by the Legal Services Act 2007, the legal profession in England and Wales is independent from government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority is responsible for authorising, and setting the qualifications standards for, solicitors in England and Wales.

Following the publication of the Legal Education and Training Review, the Legal Services Board issued statutory guidance on regulatory arrangements for education and training in 2014, and all the legal services regulators reviewed their arrangements. Subject to the approval of the Legal Services Board, the Solicitors Regulation Authority is planning to introduce a new Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) from September 2021. It is hoped that the flexibility and projected lower costs of the SQE will help attract a more diverse range of candidates.