Clause 4
Legal Services Bill [Lords]
12:00 pm
Jonathan Djanogly (Shadow Solicitor General (Also Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry), Law Officers (Assist the Home Affairs Team); Huntingdon, Conservative)
Good morning, Mr. Cook. Amendment No. 267 is not the most hard-hitting of amendments. It is consequential, so I shall overlook it and move on to amendment No. 215.
Clause 4 imposes a duty on the Legal Services Board to assist in the maintenance and development of standards of regulation by approved regulators of regulated persons, and in the education and training of those persons. For example, it may issue guidance on or disseminate examples of good education and training practices or principles of professional conduct that have been developed for reserved legal activity by one approved regulator to all approved regulators.
Amendment No. 215 has been tabled on a probing basis. It stresses the importance of the board’s role in education and training. As the overarching regulatory body that oversees the work of all other regulatory bodies, the board must understand the importance of its role as a supervisor and ensure that all regulators meet the necessary standards. Accordingly, it is important that it is instructed to withdraw its approval of any education or training schemes that do not satisfy the relevant criteria.
The approval of the LSB as given to regulatory bodies should be regarded as an endorsement oftheir suitability and mean that consumers will have confidence in them. Therefore, it could be seen as necessary that such approval is given only when it is deserved, not in the case of regulatory bodies that fall short of the necessary standards.