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Legal Services Bill [HL]

My Lords, noble Lords will already be aware of my strong support for the amendment. This was something that the Joint Committee found difficult to understand, particularly the differentiation between solicitors and barristers and with those practising in Scotland. The Minister has always promised to come forward with a detailed explanation of exactly why the situation should be permitted to continue. As far as I can see, it is an anomaly that began somewhere in the 19th century, and no one can quite understand how it ever arose or why the exemption was originally provided for. Certainly, we have never heard any explanation of why it should continue. We await the response of the noble Baroness.