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Legal Services Bill [HL]

My Lords, I strongly agree with my noble friend. It might be helpful if the Minister gave us a more detailed explanation of what has been going on behind the scenes. She gave us such a clear commitment in Committee, particularly with regard to Amendment No. 38, but that commitment seemed to disappear somewhere. Either she has been got at in some way that has not yet penetrated the consciousness of the Chamber, or she has changed her mind. In either case, we need an explanation. Amendment No. 400 seems to accord so much with the argument that the Minister previously accepted that it is surely right that there should be a general duty to consult practitioners and consumers on the extent to which the Legal Services Board ensures that its general policies and practices are consistent with its duties in Section 3. Amendment No. 401 lays down a reasonable structure within which the board’s general duty to consult would be exercised, and it is very difficult to understand why this is no longer as acceptable as it was. Perhaps the Minister has a convincing explanation, but we have not heard it yet. We await her response with eagerness and anticipation.