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Legal Services Bill [HL]

I intrude in the debate a little tardily but feel it is important to indicate to the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, in particular that he will not stand alone in putting forward his amendment. It was not intended entirely as a probing amendment at this stage. It is fair to point out that competition is normally advantageous to the consumer, which makes it appropriate as an objective for the regulatory provisions of the Bill, but it is not necessarily universally so, and it is possible that the body would have to pick and choose between different regulatory objectives in reaching a decision, even in the interests of the consumer. It would be possible to lose sight of the consumer in promoting competition. It would be theoretically—indeed, more than theoretically—possible to promote competitive behaviour in order to benefit the providers of the services. It is clear that if it came to an evaluation of which criteria and objectives should be given weight in the event of a conflict between the regulatory objectives of promoting access to justice and promoting competition, then the promotion of access to justice would clearly appropriately be given priority. I see no harm in spelling that out in the Bill.