A NEW initiative to improve advice services for the people of Bolton is being drawn up.

The Community Legal Service is part of Legal Aid reform and is aimed at improving the public's access to legal information, advice and legal services within 'non-criminal' legal aid covering welfare rights, debt advice, employment law and housing.

Bolton Council is working in partnership with Citizens Advice Bureaux, Bolton Racial Equality Council, Housing Advice, Welfare Rights, solicitors, and the Legal Services Commission in putting the service together.

Chairman of the Partnership, Cllr Frank White, said: "Access to good quality advice on the sorts of issues covered by the Community Legal Service -- housing issues, welfare benefits, debt, consumer law and

employment -- is absolutely central to the objective of ensuring that people in Bolton are not socially excluded.

"A lot of local people face many problems in accessing quality advice so it is vital that we take the necessary steps to improve and develop local services to meet their needs."