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Legal Services Bill [HL]

I am nervous about the description of the incremental approach that the noble Lord has just given. I agree that the process should be cautious in moving towards the development of alternative business structures by making sure that the rules are applied properly, the licensing authorities are properly set up, and they are clear about the regulatory objectives and what that means for how they do their work and so on. However, I need to go away and think about the idea that this can be done gradually. One would end up saying that we will take, for example, the first five or 20 and then stop. Which will be the lucky ones able to develop their businesses and compete in the open market using a different structure from that used by others which might want to compete? I am not sure that it is a realistic proposition. Getting this right is about getting it right from the beginning and deciding how to ensure the right processes are in place and the bodies are set up properly. I need to go away and think about how we will know what is happening.