Legal Services Bill [HL]

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 203 to 214. I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 221, 231, 235, 250, 252, 253 and 256. These are amendments to Schedule 16 to allow the Law Society to regulate limited forms of ABSs before Part 5 has been commenced. The amendments attracted much support in the other place and I hope they will prove equally popular in your Lordship’s House. We have worked very closely with the Law Society on these amendments and will continue to work closely with it. I am very grateful to the Law Society for its help in this matter. We are also working closely with other regulatory bodies such as the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents and the Institute for Trade Mark Attorneys to ensure that they have rules in place for regulating LDPs as soon as is practicable. We fully recognise the benefits to both consumers and the professions of allowing limited forms of ABSs, subject to stringent restrictions and safeguards, to emerge in advance of Part 5. Beyond that, noble Lords had argued for a stepped approach to Part 5. The arguments had great force and these amendments are intended in part as recognition of their force. I beg to move. Moved, That the House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 203 to 214. On Question, Motion agreed to. 215: Page 269, line 23, after ““of”” insert ““- (a) ””