Legal Services Bill [Lords]

I think that the hon. Gentleman is inadvertently misleading the House by suggesting that trade union officials would appear in court. They have no rights of audience in court, so they would not be able to do that. The Bill will protect trade union members because if a union offers reserved legal services, those services must be carried out by qualified lawyers, who will be subject to regulation by an approved regulator. The exemption applies only where the union provides legal services by virtue of membership, and not in any wider sense. I hope that the hon. Gentleman understands that the Bill does not go quite as far as he seems to be suggesting.