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Legal Services Bill [HL]

I have a small point but it may be important in relation to the amendments to come. When the Minister spoke of Her Majesty signifying assent to such appointments—I may be quite wrong and I shall read Hansard carefully to see whether I am—she seemed to suggest that Her Majesty had a separate discretion. That passage of her speech was of some importance. On reflection, is that really what she was saying? If the Prime Minister advised Her Majesty to accept the nominations from a Secretary of State—it would be open to argument—by convention, by constitution or by whatever we have in the mists and airs that surround this curious place, she might be obliged to accept what the Secretary of State said. So no one but the Secretary of State, who no doubt would be bound to consider the rule of law and the like, would decide, but he might be a very young Secretary of State in another place. Would that not be the end of the matter?