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Legal Services Bill [HL]

I agree, and I accept that ““overarching”” was the wrong word for me to use. I meant that it would be a priority. I say to the noble and learned Baroness that—I hate to say this, because your Lordships know far more about legislation than I do, but I have done quite a lot of legislation thus far in my career—the minute one puts something on the face of legislation, one singles it out and it creates a circumstance where one could see it as a priority. That is all that I am seeking to say. I acknowledge what noble Lords wish to achieve. I understand completely the concerns that they have raised, for different reasons and from different experiences, and I have no difficulty with that. We do not wish to see unintended effects from alternative business structures that prevent people from getting access to justice, or indeed from getting the best from services that could be provided competitively, and so on. There is no difference between us on that. I am happy to consider reinforcing the language. My issue was that, if you pick out one consideration, that might create some difficulties. As ever, though, the purpose of Committee is for me to listen and to take these issues and look at them with greater care. I emphasise again, and I hope that the Committee will accept, that there is nothing between us on what we are trying to do. The question is how best to achieve it. I will look at the wording with regard to what the licensing authority does, which may help us get to where we need to get to.