Legal Services Bill [HL]

My Lords, we completely agree about the principle: the question is whether doing what the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, has asked would achieve it or enhance what we believe is already in the Bill. However, let me begin with the principle. I agree completely with what the noble Lords, Lord Campbell of Alloway and Lord Hunt of Wirral, said about the standing of the legal profession and the quality of legal services. I have the good fortune, as noble Lords know, of doing work for the department on trade. Indeed, I hope to be in India next week to talk to lawyers all over India about the opportunities that we see between us for the legal professions. I have also had the benefit of receiving delegations from other countries. As noble Lords know, I sit again on the European Union’s Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Thursday. I am therefore absolutely alive to the standing of the legal profession across Europe and the world, and I yield to no one in my recognition, support and promotion of it; so I am absolutely at one with noble Lords—the warm glow is absolutely between us. It is critical that the public, the consumer and the legal profession have a confidence in this new regime that is enhanced all the time and that we set up the new regime properly and appropriately. That has been a key part of all the amendments moved by noble Lords, who have sought at least reassurance if not changes to the legislation; so there is nothing between us on that. I have considered very carefully what the amendments of the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, would do. My difficulty is that we think that our objectives already cover what they propose. We have support for the constitutional principle of the rule of law, the encouragement of an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession, and promoting and maintaining adherence to the professional principles, which include acting with independence and integrity and maintaining proper standards of work. Clause 4 also states: "““The Board must assist in the maintenance and development of standards in relation to … the regulation … education and training of persons so authorised””." That captures, perhaps in more detail, how we can achieve what the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Alloway, seeks to do. I therefore hope that he feels reassured that I recognise the objective of his amendment, that I have looked carefully to see that we have achieved it, and that I completely and publicly endorse all the statements that have been made about the critical nature of the standing and quality of legal services. Indeed, I pay tribute to all those who currently deliver them.