Clause 10
Legal Services Bill [Lords]
10:00 am
Jonathan Djanogly (Shadow Solicitor General (Also Shadow Minister for Trade and Industry), Law Officers (Assist the Home Affairs Team); Huntingdon, Conservative)
I thank the Minister for confirming that she will write to the patent and trademark agents later today. It would have been helpful to have had that information for the debate today, but there we are. The hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley and my hon. Friends the Members for North-West Norfolk and for Bromley and Chislehurst all made excellent cases, saying that the amendment is reasonable and straightforward. My hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst made the important point that it would improve transparency, and I agree with everything that they said. My hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, Southgate was right to make the point about the promise that was made by the Minister in the Lords, which has been broken.
The arguments have been put, and I do not want to go around the houses again. We do not consider that the Minister is right in her arguments, and I simply cannot see how the balance could be tipped in favourof regulators, as she put it, by what we see as a straightforward amendment. I thank her for agreeing to consider whether guidance will be published, but at this stage of the proceedings, I shall seek to press the new clause to a vote.