The Law Society claimed further success for its Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) today after two banks announced that membership will be compulsory for firms joining their lender panels and two Top 100 firms signed up.

Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank, both part of the National Australia Bank Group, announced that membership of their lender panels in England and Wales will be restricted to firms with the CQS mark or those are already on the panels.

The new arrangement will apply to all applications received on or after 16 April. Arrangements in Scotland remain unchanged.

Santander and HSBC have already said CQS membership will be mandatory for firms joining their panels, though they will accept applications from firms who have applied for the CQS mark, but whose application is being processed.

Head of legal services for Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks Michael Webber, said: ‘Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks see CQS as a positive development and is encouraging further membership of the scheme.’

Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said: ‘Lenders make their own decisions about their panels, so we regard Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks’ decision to make CQS a requirement for panel membership as further demonstration that CQS is a trusted community of skilled practitioners.

‘Not only is it an assurance of high standards in conveyancing for lenders, but by showing its commitment to CQS, they are also putting customers’ interests first by maintaining a wide panel of trusted firms,’ he said.

Meanwhile the Law Society announced that national firm Pannone and London firm Russell Cooke have had their applications to join the CQS scheme approved. So far 1,300 firms in England and Wales have been accredited to the scheme.