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Legal Services Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 107: 107: Clause 62 , page 34, line 24, at end insert— ““and, in either case, no other approved regulator is suitable and willing to regulate the activity in question.”” The noble Lord said: The purpose of this amendment is to ensure that if the Legal Services Board becomes an approved regulator, which it may do under Clause 61 with regard to certain reserved legal activities, it does so absolutely and explicitly as a matter of last resort. We recognise that the powers given to the board in Clause 61 must be part of the Bill as a safety net; but it is essential that they are restricted to that. It must be the case that this power is only used when there is no other approved regulator that could regulate the activity in question. That approach is consistent with the policy of minimum intervention by the board and with the professional bodies taking lead responsibility in regulating wherever possible. I am confident that the Government will be sympathetic to this aim, but nevertheless would like an assurance to that effect; and of course, if possible, would like it expressly stated in the Bill that this is a last resort power. I beg to move.