Legal Services Bill [HL]

I am extremely grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken on the proposal. I am gratified by the range of responses. It indicates awareness that we are taking a leap in the dark and that we should be as inventive and as cautious as may be to prevent untoward consequences flowing from our well intentioned urge to improve the provision of a range of legal services to the consumer. It is clear from what the noble Baroness has said that, although the final implementation of the establishment of the alternative business structures is to be postponed until 2011, we will, once we enact the measure, be on a firm course. Although this will proceed in stages, there is no provision that I can see for checking it in the light of second thoughts or other considerations that may become a little clearer than they are now. I realised that, if I proposed the new clause at this stage of the Bill’s progress, there was some prospect that the issues of practicality, some of which were addressed by the noble Lord, Lord Borrie, and others, would be likely to be raised. I welcome that, because it enables one to consider further whether there is a more practical way of proceeding that would embody what, I think, is a reasonable objective: to diminish the fear that consumers could be seriously disadvantaged in some parts of our country by the establishment of alternative business structures. Having heard the Minister and other contributors to the debate, I will, at this stage, beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.