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Legal Services Bill [HL]

I am most grateful to the Minister for her response. I am also grateful for the support I have received from the noble Lord, Lord Thomas of Gresford, and for the pertinent observations he made. It is extremely important that the OLC gets off to a good start. Its predecessor has had an imperfect reputation, and the distinction between what has gone before and what we hope will lie ahead of us must be very clear. I am not satisfied, despite the Minister’s attempts to allay my fears, that the Government have really thought through this difficult period before the Act, as it will be, comes into full effect. I am also not confident that the noble Baroness has reassured me that the selection process for an interim chief executive, if that is what is going to happen, is sufficiently robust. I will look carefully at what the Minister said; but it is highly likely that we will come back on Report with either the same amendment or one that is very close to it. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 159 not moved.] Schedule 22 agreed to. Schedules 23 and 24 agreed to. House resumed: Bill reported with amendments.