Legal Services Bill [Lords]

My candid view is that they do not. That is why I hope that other wording that does the job will emerge as part of our consideration subsequent to this debate and in another place. There is some common ground—certainly between the hon. Gentleman and me; I am not sure about others—on what is required. We need something in respect of not only trade unions but the other bodies that we have mentioned. With the honourable exception of the amendment tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Yardley, the amendments have the deficiency of not dealing with the other mutual bodies that provide services. There should be provision for a kick-in of regulation when the trade union or other body is effectively competing in the marketplace—albeit a limited one, given its membership or associate membership—for the provision of general legal services. I am talking about when there is a legal practice that happens to be within a trade union or mutual context, rather than about the provision of the sort of services that it is reasonable to assume would be provided for members in the pursuit of the objectives of a trade union or other mutual organisation.