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Legal Services Bill [HL]

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble and learned Lord for his response. I would have preferred to have the amendment incorporated in the Bill. However, I have had his undertaking that its terms will be taken into account by those responsible for the management of the prescribed charity, when funds come in which have been derived from particular cases. I am sure that that consideration will be given proper attention by the prescribed charity and am, therefore, content to withdraw my amendment and leave matters as they stand in the Bill. The noble and learned Lord is right in saying that there is concern in sectors of the solicitors’ profession, in particular among some city firms, about the extent of the prescribed charity’s power in relation to the ultimate destination of funds. I draw consolation from what the noble and learned Lord has said and am sure that if those concerns are properly taken into account, the existence of the prescribed charity will not prove to be a disincentive to the effort they make in pro bono cases. In those circumstances, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 618 had been withdrawn from the Marshalled List.]