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Legal Services Bill [HL]

I suspect not, and I was not trying to suggest that she had. I was referring to the issue that the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, raised about the implications for business operating in the European Union and whether alternative business structures would provide an opportunity for other countries—and the German BRAK has been raised a number of times—to prevent the good and appropriate way in which British firms are competing in the European Union. One interested party—though only one—would be the Commissioner for Competition, because she is looking right across the European Union and talking about the need for reform to take place. I referred to her speeches because—as the noble Lord will see when I send him copies; and I am sure that it fits entirely with Liberal Democrat policy—she has reminded member states of the importance of being able to think about competition appropriately and the benefits to the consumer in the way that it operates. I wanted to make a small interjection which was not meant to be a huge part of what I was saying. But I did not want the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, to think that I had not thought about or started to discuss the issues which have reasonably been raised about whether, by going down this route, we would somehow prevent British business competing effectively across the European Union.