PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
LAW SOCIETY AND RESTRICTIVE PRACTICES (19 May 2002)

That this House notes the publication of two Office of Fair Trading reports on Competition in Professions in the past 15 months; further notes calls for the Law Society to take prompt action to end restrictive practices in the profession relating to employed solicitors advising the public, fee-sharing and referral fees; censures the Law Society for having made no substantial progress to reform these archaic rules while purporting so to do; believes that reform of such professional regulations will drive up standards of service and promote better value for those needing legal help, whilst safeguarding the independence of the professionals who provide it; recognises that these important consumer issues can no longer be subject to further protectionism and prevarication from vested interests; and calls on the Office of Fair Trading to refer the matter to the Competition Commission for urgent review as soon as the Enterprise Bill is enacted.

Sponsored by:
Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour)