On 16 May 2011, the Ministry of Justice published its Action Plan entitled "Plan for Growth: Promoting the UK's Legal Services Sector". This sets out what the MoJ is doing as part of the government's wider Plan for Growth, announced as part of the Budget on 23 March 2011.
The Action Plan notes that, in 2009, legal services generated £23.1 billion, or 1.8% of UK GDP, including £3.2 billion in exports, three times more than a decade earlier. It states that despite this very strong record there is no room for complacency, given the threats from foreign protectionist regulations and worldwide competition for legal services.
The Action Plan states that the MoJ is committed to working closely with UK Trade & Investment and the legal sector to promote the UK as "the global centre of legal arbitration and commercial law services". In essence the government undertakes to promote UK legal services abroad by maximising promotional opportunities on ministerial visits and through embassies, and by seeking to liberalise restrictive regulations in key markets abroad.
The announcement of the Action Plan anticipates the opening later this year of the new state-of-the-art Business Court, known as the Rolls Building, which will bring under one roof the business-related divisions of the High Court (the Commercial Court, the Chancery Division and the Technology and Construction Court). The new court is expected to open in October. The Action Plan lists the new court as one of the benefits of the UK legal sector, saying it will offer a streamlined service to businesses and maintain the UK’s reputation as first choice for business law.
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