The Law Society has written to the Legal Services Commission demanding urgent information about ‘fundamental issues’ concerning the civil legal aid tendering process, and expressing ‘grave concern’ at the lack of detail given to providers.

The tender process is due to begin at the beginning of February, although the date has not been announced.

Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson has written to Carolyn Regan, LSC chief executive, insisting that solicitors need answers to all outstanding matters about the details of the tender.

In particular, he asks when the revised procurement plans will be published. This document, setting out the LSC’s predictions for volumes of work, was expected to be published well in advance of the opening of the tender process.

Chancery Lane also wants to know when the tender will open, and when firms will be notified whether or not they have been allocated a contract.

Hudson also requests clarification on how the LSC will compare bids in the combined social welfare law categories of debt, housing and welfare benefits, and how it will ensure that the allocation of matter starts to successful bidders is in proportion to the available matter starts for the three categories.

Lastly, he asks Regan what steps the LSC has taken to ensure that transfers of ongoing cases – from organisations that fail to secure new contracts and decide not to undertake outstanding work – do not eat into the number of matter starts allocated to the firm which takes on the cases.

Hudson said: ‘It is a matter of grave concern to us that so many major issues remain unclear this close to the launch of the tender. It is absolutely vital that our members - and all prospective tenderers – should be provided with answers to these questions without further delay.’